All Breakages Must be Paid For
by Lucreace
Summary: Five years after Voldemort's demise finds the world a radically changed place. A chance encounter on the road reunites some old acquaintences that spark a series of events that may well solve the mystery of what happened. Very AU. The story is very bleak, if you want cheerful, this story isn't for you! Eventual SS/HG
1. Chapter 1

The world had changed. Somewhere along the way, something had gone horribly wrong. Huddling into his tatty, black coat, Severus hurried along the cracked, broken road, desperately hoping to find somewhere safe before nightfall. Something to eat wouldn't be too bad either, though most places had been torn apart for food by looters now. There wasn't much of anything left from before. Muggle or otherwise. Footsore, he continued weaving his way down what was the A1 road heading towards London. Currently, he was about three miles from Pontefract so had a rather large walk ahead of him.

It wouldn't have been so bad but the cars that had been abandoned littered the road, the grass was spreading rapidly over the tarmac, now that there was no-one to tend it, nature was taking over once more. Icy wind bit his exposed flesh as he walked into it. No matter how much he pulled his coat around him or hunched over, it always seemed to find a way in to torment him. Even if he dug his ragged cloak from his bag, he wouldn't be warm, this was the sort of cold that seeped into your bones and didn't let go.

The weak sun, having begun its descent hours before, now lingered on the horizon, rapidly bringing darkness to the forlorn countryside. Looking around, Severus turned in the direction of the slip-road and hoped to find somewhere to stay for the night. Days were dangerous enough, nights were deadly. As he followed the road, he saw two buildings with the potential for overnight lodgings. One was a roadside pub; the other had once been a budget hotel. He opted for the pub. It had less floors and was more likely to be deserted. He'd been alone long enough to know that other people were just as dangerous as what else was out there.

Silently, he circled the building. Everything about it told him it was unoccupied. Still, he kept his hand on the large knife resting at his hip and his eyes open. Picking his way to the front door, he lifted the latch and let himself inside. Dust from the last five years touched everything and the mouldering smell of neglect hit his nose. Still, it was out the wind and that was a definite improvement. Keeping his hand on the knife handle, he made his way through the entrance and into the bar area. A huge fireplace was the central feature of the ancient building and he was sorely tempted to light it. Only the fear of discovery kept him from doing so. Leaving the large room behind, he went in search of the kitchen.

Finding it as deserted as the rest of the place, he carefully avoided opening the fridge, having learned that mistake the hard way. The room was gloomy but silent, there was no one here. As quickly as he could, he threw the cupboards open in search of something that might resemble food. Most of the cupboards were empty, except for a few packets of dried pasta, which he shoved into his battered rucksack. He was about to give up when the final draw revealed a couple of rusty tins containing Spam and a jar of peaches. A bounty like that was nothing to be sniffed at so he snatched them up and left.

The large, empty common room was far too open for him to comfortably sleep in so he abandoned it in search of the stairs. Pushing through a large door, he climbed them and found a much smaller room. This one had a bed at least, still with some blankets on too. Still not wanting to risk a fire, even in the much smaller hearth, he sat on the floor and pulled the thick blanket around him instead. Pulling out one of the tins, he tapped it gently with the tip of his wand and the thing popped open. Reaching into his pack for a spoon, he began shovelling the much needed meat into his mouth. It didn't take long to finish. When he had, he wiped the spoon as best he could and put it back into his pack. Rising, he picked up the nearby chair and used it to jam the door shut. There had been no sign of any Restless since leaving the road but there was no need to be careless. When that was done, he muttered, "Lumos," to light his wand. His voice was rusty, cracked from lack of use. He hadn't seen another soul for two months now and even then, he had avoided their questions before slipping away unseen.

He tugged a book from his pack and began leafing through it. He'd read it hundreds of times now and the pages were worn and thin but in absence of anything else, he had to make do. _Jane Eyre_ wasn't what he would normally read but it had been the only thing he'd grabbed when he'd left Hogwarts, years previously. It didn't take long for his eyes to grow heavy. Crawling onto the mattress, he felt the tug of sleep pulling on his consciousness. The novelty of sleeping in a bed wasn't lost on him, though he didn't remove his shoes. He doused his wand and tucked it safe against his forearm. Sleep took him moments later.

Severus awoke when he heard shuffling downstairs. Early morning light filtered through the dusty window. He was alert in seconds, on his feet and ready to face whatever it was downstairs. Brushing his oily black hair from his face, he silently removed the chair that was jamming the door shut. He pressed an ear against it, listening for any movement on the other side. After three minutes, there was none so he eased it open and stepped into the corridor.

Pressing to the side of the hallway, he navigated the stairway, keeping his steps light, his mind alert. His breaths came in short measure, shallow and ready to run should he need to. So far, he could see or hear nothing. Arriving at the door at the foot of the stairs, he peeked through the glass. The large room appeared deserted, still, he crouched there for a long moment. When he was sure it was clear, he opened the door quietly and crept into the common room.

He was sure he'd gotten away with it. Sure he was about to make his exit and be on his way without encountering any trouble. As his hand reached out for the final door he froze, "Not so fast!" A sharp female voice barked. "I have a cross bow aimed right at your back so don't move an inch." Swallowing hard, he remained exactly where he was. It would only take a quick flick of his wrist to retrieve his wand, a small gesture to aim it at this assailant, disarm them and get out of there. He wished them no harm but neither was he going to be taken down easily.

The woman behind him coughed, "Now, turn around… Slowly." He did as she requested, turned to his left, away from her. Twisting his wrist, he let his wand drop into his hand as he moved. The rest of his turn was faster. As he brought his arm up, his eyes followed, the words of the spell died on his lips, half formed when his eyes met a familiar face.

The woman's eyes widened and she dropped her crossbow. He hadn't been mistaken then. He stood there, frozen in place as she squealed and surged forward. Arms clasped his waist and made a fuss over him. Not knowing what to do, he remained rigid, upright and totally lost. Never had his presence caused such a reaction, even when the world was right with itself.

"Oh Merlin, I can't believe it's you!" she whispered. "I thought you were dead."

"Nearly everyone is dead," he replied. It wasn't much comfort to anyone but it was the truth. Slowly, she untwined herself from his stiff body and picked up her crossbow. He looked over her again and nodded, it was definitely her. Thinner, leaner with a hard glint in her eyes that had been absent in her school years but the bushy hair and the chocolate eyes gave her away.

"Not everyone." Hermione said. A small smile playing on her lips as she bent to retrieve the crossbow. Severus tucked his wand back in his sleeve and made sure everything else was in place.

"No?"

"Nope. Harry and Ron are alive." He shuddered despite himself. He had hoped to not see those two particular idiots again so soon. "Several Order Members are around. Moody, Tonks, Remus…" Her voice trailed off as he looked her up and down.

"Minerva?"

Hermione shook her head. It was to be expected, she'd been old at the battle of Hogwarts. The Restless were not kind on the old or frail. Still, the actual knowledge of his friend's death caused a pang in his chest. He merely nodded however and urged he girl to speak on. "We're camped about three days south of here. Why don't you come with me and see for yourself."

"Maybe I'll get some answers," he muttered. The ten words he'd spoken were the most in months and he coughed, aware that his voice was raw. His throat too, come to think of it. He was about to reach into his pack for some water when she threw him her water skin.

"We've food and water enough at the camp and it's safe there too. The Restless can't get in and you'll be able to rest as much as you want." Her explanation was enough and he was sorely tempted. He had been long without company and that alone did much to persuade him. Slowly, he nodded.

"Very well. Take me to this camp of yours."

The look of delight on her face was a picture and he almost smiled. Thrusting his hand through his hair to force it back from his forehead, he gestured for her to lead on. Early morning light spread over the grass-swamped fields and thankfully, the wind had dropped. He followed close behind her in silence, looking from side to side at the walked. He noted that she was not heading back towards the A1 but found that it didn't matter. London could wait. He may well find what he needed to know in this camp of hers. He just hoped that they could make it there safely.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite the fact that it was freezing cold, despite the fact that she knew there was a three day walk back to what she considered civilization and despite the fact that she was hungry for more than cold meat, Hermione felt elated. Never, even in her wildest dreams, had she ever thought to see the dour Potions Master again. Maybe he had the answer they'd all been searching for. Perhaps his presence held the key to their survival. She clenched her fists at her sides to prevent her excitement from showing and continued walking.

Stealing a covert look at him, perhaps the third that hour, she noticed that he was no longer the neat, fastidious man he had been while she was at school. True, none of them were. His once fine frock coat was now tatty, the hems of his trousers ragged. It was also painfully obvious that he'd not eaten properly in months and the circles under his eyes were darker than ever. Long hair hung in limp strands and h-

"Are you quite done?" he asked. A deep flush coloured her cheeks and she looked away hastily.

"That obvious?" He just nodded a response and she looked at the road beneath them. "It's been a long time and well… you look…" she trailed off, unsure how to finish

"Terrible. I look terrible," he replied.

"Now, I didn't-"

"Don't humour me Granger. I look terrible because I've been living off the street and what I can find over the past five years," he said. The retort stung, as his always did and she huffed out a sigh. "We all look a lot different," he added. His voice was so soft she almost missed what he'd said.

"That we do," she agreed, knowing it was the truth. Her own frame was thin and she was covered in her share of dirt too. Her clothes had seen better days but they were nowhere near as tattered as his. Perhaps there would be something he could wear back at camp. There would definitely be a shower he could have. "We've facilities at camp," she said, trying to make conversation. "Something better than a cleansing charm at least."

At the mention of magic, he looked up, his eyes narrow and his shoulders hunched. Had she touched a nerve? "And you find using magic so freely an advantage do you?"

Her eyes found his and she shook her head. "I…" she trailed off, unable to admit to the brilliant wizard at her side the shameful truth. Instead of softening his expression, his eyes turned stony, somehow colder than the wind that was once more picking up.

"Out with it!" he snapped

"I can't cast much anymore Sir. My wand was snapped early on, when we still didn't know what was going on." She kept her eyes on the ground, unable to look at him as she spoke. Bracing herself for the tirade that followed, she hunched her shoulders as if they would protect her from his words. When none came, she slowly looked up. Something in his pose seemed to have died, before she would have expected a thorough telling off; now, he just walked beside her silently. The air of defeat was unbearable. "Have you nothing to say?"

"What do you want me to do?" he sighed as he spoke; "Shout at you? My shouting at student's days are many years behind me. Besides, you are no longer a student."

His answer wasn't what she had expected; she wondered where his fire had gone. Maybe one of the Restless had killed it off. As she was considering it, his arm shot out, stopping her in her tracks. Instantly alert, she heard the same grunting, groaning noise he had. Glancing to the side of the road, they both saw the long grass and moved together. Running behind him, Hermione didn't glance over her shoulder. She could only hope the Restless hadn't seen them; they were relentless in their pursuit of the living, even if they weren't fast.

Slender as he was, he was still capable of outrunning her. Hermione struggled to keep up with the lanky man in front of her. By the time he stopped, she was panting and seeing white spots in front of her eyes. She braced her hands on her knees and drew in shaking breath after shaking breath. How the hell did he do it?

"We can't stop," he whispered. She nodded and forced herself to straighten up. He was right, there was no way they could stop now. He began moving again, this time at a brisk walk. Hermione kept her eyes focused on his back, making sure she kept her ears alert and her eyes wide. It would be useless now if they were sprung upon and devoured. Cold wind ripped across the countryside, sending the long grass waving as though it were a vast sea rather than an overgrown field.

Silence was the key, if they moved quietly, maybe they'd be alright. Her mind circled round and round. She'd been in this situation so many times that she wasn't even sure why she was worried. Still, she moved behind her companion and through the fields, hoping they'd avoid a likely deadly encounter.

Since she'd lost her wand, Hermione had been able to cast a few, minor spells but without the guidance of anyone, it had been a bit like stabbing in the dark. Mostly guesswork and botched attempts, which were unpredictable at best and a failure at worst, it had been difficult to come to terms with, like losing her right arm. Hence the crossbow slung over her back and the large knife at her side.

After an hour of travelling in complete silence, she drew up alongside her companion and reached out a hand. Hesitantly, she touched his arm. When his head turned, she slowed her pace. "I think we're alright now," she whispered.

He gave a brief nod, "I believe so." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and looked around carefully. The fields of long grass were coming to an end, replaced by scrubland and stunted bushes. When they crossed into the open land, the air began nibbling into their skin. Before long, Hermione's fingers were frozen and her teeth chattered.

"There's a house about four miles or so down the road," she said as her teeth shook. "We can stop there and warm up."

He raised a brow at her and she noticed that his mouth had a slight blue tinge to it. "Maybe there, you can tell me what happened to cause all this nonsense," he said.

"I'll share with you what I know," she nodded. They fell silent once more as they marched their way across the barren, open countryside. The journey took far longer than she had hoped, by the time they got there, the wind had chilled her to the bone and the sky had darkened with thick, grey clouds. When they arrived at the door, she pulled out a key and unlocked it, motioning for Severus to enter. As soon as he had done so, she closed and locked the door once more.

"Muggle locks?" he asked with a raised brow.

"The Restless can't work magic," she answered with a shrug, "And you may have noticed that the use of such attracts them rather quickly."

"It had occurred to me…" he whispered as he looked around. Hermione tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to follow her. She led him to a wooden ladder that led to the top floor. She climbed it nimbly before waiting for him to follow. As soon as he had, she pulled the ladder up and shut the hatch, securing them on the top floor.

Knowing that they would now be safe, she relaxed a fraction. "We can't start a fire or anything but there is a large pile of blankets we can use to get warm over there and the sofas aren't that uncomfortable." She explained as she walked over to the stack. By the time she had one in her hands, he'd removed his pack and sank onto one of the couches. Throwing one of the thicker blankets at him, she took one for herself and settled down.

"What is this place?" he asked after pulling the blanket over his shivering form.

"A safehouse. We have several around the area. We pull out the stairs so the Restless can't get to us. Even if they get into the ground floor, we're safe up here. We're sealed away from them." She folded her arms under the blanket and tucked her feet up to her chest, curling up to collect warmth.

He nodded as she spoke. "Are there many of them?"

"About half a dozen. All of them have a similar set up to this, usually old farm houses. The buildings are sturdy and can take the renovations easier than the newer places. There are also some tins of food over there, though it's not much." When she mentioned food, his eyes lit up and she gestured to the tins, "Help yourself." He didn't need telling twice, as soon as the words were out; he was up and looking through the tins. Moments later, he was back under the blanket, munching on a tin of all day breakfast as though it was fit for a king. Perhaps in this case it was.

She watched him eat in silence, not hungry herself. The gnawing hunger that settled in her belly was an old companion now and it rarely bothered her. Thirst however, was a different matter entirely. Reaching into her own bag, she pulled out a half full bottle of water and took a sip. She'd have enough to get back to camp if she was careful.

When he put the empty tin aside, she looked up and nodded. "So, tell me what happened," he said as he brushed black strands from his face.

"Where shall I start?"

"At the end of the war, the last time everything was normal was in the aftermath. I was recovering in the infirmary when the rumours started. I relapsed, fell into a coma. When I awoke, everyone was gone," he said, giving her a point of reference with which to start.

Slowly, she nodded, opening her mouth to speak, she closed it again. It took her a moment to find the right words. When she opened it again, she noticed he was regarding her with intense, black eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

He watched her thoughts play out over her face as they always had. Maybe she wasn't as different as he thought. Sure, she was leaner and had a hard look in her eyes that had always been missing before but she still played her emotions and thoughts over her face like she had when she was an eleven year old girl eager to please at the front of his classroom. He passed a hand over his face and sighed. That was a lifetime ago and they both knew it. Patiently, he waited for her to gather her thoughts and begin telling the tale he was waiting to hear.

When she opened her mouth, he listened carefully. "I remember how you were in those first days." He frowned; this wasn't what he was expecting to hear. "After we found out… everything… Harry, Ron and I came to visit you, especially after you slipped back into a place where we couldn't find you. Minerva was busy setting about rebuilding the castle, along with the rest of the Order and we were ordered back to school to see out the rest of the year.

"I remember the first time we found something wasn't right. We were in charms; I think it was anyway, when this shambling man came staggering across the lawn. He was one of the Restless, although we didn't know it at the time." She paused and pushed her hair out of her face with a sigh, "It was awful. He bite and struck those around him and as you know, that passed on his sickness. Those who were bitten by him turned. It took less than twenty four hours for most of the school to succumb to it and just over seventy two for those who died to rise again."

When she paused, he shifted a little under the blanket, trying to get the warmth to penetrate down to his toes. "How did you get out?" He asked as he jammed his hands between his thighs.

"I've asked myself that so many times since," she muttered. It was a while before she spoke again but he let her have a moment to collect her thoughts. "Harry came and got me. I remember him babbling on about what was happening and how we had to leave. Ron was with him and he was beside himself, you remember how he gets under stress?" He nodded an affirmation. The ginger idiot turned into a blubbering wreck when under enough pressure. "I was in the library when they got me. Dragging me away from my books in such a hurry, I didn't even have time to put them back."

He rolled his eyes at the sadness in her voice, "Why am I not surprised Miss Granger?"

The look she gave him was scathing, "Are we still using formal terms? After everything that has happened?" He didn't reply, he didn't need to, the answer was obvious.

"Anyway, the boys forced me to pack a few things and then we left. Everyone was panicking around us so we slipped away. We went to Hogsmeade and talked about what was going on. We decided that we'd best get away from Hogwarts as soon as we could." Here she paused once more and he suspected that she'd left out a chunk of the story. He didn't press her, she would tell him in time, or not. It wasn't his place to force information from her anymore.

"So you met with the other Order members shortly after and formed this… camp?" he asked after it became apparent she wouldn't continue the story further.

"It took a year to find them all and another year to find somewhere suitable. When that place was overrun, we moved on. We kept moving until we found the place we're based in now. It took a year to find, six months to clear and another six to make sure it was completely safe. The pat year we've spent trying to find out what has caused this problem." Her explanation was adequate and she fell silent.

When he spoke again, he knew his voice was filled with a deep resignation, "What caused this? Why are the dead walking the earth?"

"That's what I've asked every day since it started." When she caught his eyes, the same resignation reflected back at him. When had her youthful jubilation been replaced by such complacent acceptance?

"Do you have ideas?"

"I've had plenty Severus," his brow puckered a little when she used his given name but he was too company starved to say anything about it, "But there's no way to check them. My wand was snapped by the teeth of a Restless about four years ago. We can't apparate as it attracts them far quicker than any other magic and well, survival seems to have taken priority over my hare-brained ideas." A sad sigh escaped her lips and he shook his head slowly. Silence descended between them again and he was once more caught up in his own thoughts. If they had no idea, maybe they were destined to never know what had caused this great fracture in the world.

"Tell me your thoughts." He said when the silence became more than he could bear. Somehow, after the five years of near solitude, sitting in the same room as someone else in silence was detestable. Once he had longed for silence, now he wanted nothing more than to hear the voice of another friendly human being.

"I have several ideas. I thought it might be a type of viral infection at first, especially when the bites of the Restless caused the recent dead to change but I changed my mind when I realised that those who didn't have fatal injuries seemed to recover just fine."

"Go on."

"Ron took a wound from one of them a couple of years ago. It was bad and we all thought he was going to die. He made a full recovery however and that's when I learned that it wasn't a virus," she explained. He nodded along with her.

"I thought it could have been a pathogen changed by some Muggle experiment, I know they liked to do that sort of thing but there was no evidence of that," he said. Her eyes widened as he spoke freely and he smiled inwardly. It didn't show on his face, that he kept in its usual scowl but it was there none the less.

"I thought that too but dismissed the idea when Ron was bitten."

"Could it be an airborne pathogen?"

"It's possible, but then again, how are we still alive if that's the case?" Her brow furrowed as she considered it for a moment.

"I have no idea," he whispered. Slowly, he stretched out on the couch. Warmth had crept back into his bones and he was feeling distinctly more comfortable. He did keep his arms under the blanket however and he tucked the edges in. "I was bound for London to see if there was anything there that may give me an idea."

"There's nothing there," she said quietly. Her eyes found his and she shook her head slowly. "We tried to get to Diagon Alley a year or so ago. The whole city was overrun with Restless, we couldn't get through." Hermione said.

"Do you know that the Alley is gone? Did you see it for yourself?"

Slowly, she nodded. "Six months ago, Moody and Harry managed to get through. It was deserted, everything was destroyed." Severus shut his eyes. He had hoped that the Alley had managed to survive this madness. It was a link to how the world should be. To find it had been destroyed was a terrible blow. He curled up once more and let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry Severus." Her voice cut through to him and he looked up into her chestnut eyes.

"It's not your fault," he muttered. There was no point blaming her for the bad news yet he couldn't stop the swell of resentment rise in him. Getting to the Alley had been his goal for as long as he could remember. To learn that it was gone was devastating, what was he supposed to do now? The thought was a dark one and he pushed it aside.

"My hope of acquiring a new wand died that day…" Her words trailed off and silence descended once more. Somehow, he felt awkward. The heavy weight of no sound was oppressive yet he couldn't think of a word to say to the woman lying opposite him on the sofa. What else could he ask without feeling an idiot? It wasn't as though he could enquire about her career; that had all been put on hold the moment the world changed. Maybe this was a bad idea after all; he wasn't fit for the company of other people. He'd barely been sociable before and after this time he found that he was severely out of practice.

The matter was taken out of his hands when shuffling and moaning sounded from outside. He froze, his body going rigid, his hand curling to the knife that now rested on the floor in front of him. "Relax," Hermione whispered, her voice was barely audible, "If we stay quiet, they'll move on, there is no way they can know we're here."

He nodded but remained tense, "It's safe?" When she nodded back, he let out a sigh and tried to force his muscles to relax. "This is all new," he muttered by way of explanation.

"Even if they get in the house, they cannot get up here." When he recalled the ladder she'd pulled up, he did relax, maybe it was safe after all.

"I can't remember what it's like to sleep safely somewhere," he replied pushing hair back from his face.

"I remember what that's like," she whispered. He watched a look of sympathy cross her face and he shut his eyes, he didn't want it. Life had been hard but he had survived which was more than most. "Get some sleep Severus; we've still a long way to go before we reach camp." He nodded and kept his eyes closed. He may feel warm and less hungry than he had been but it took a long time for him to relax enough for sleep to claim him.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione laid awake long into the night. The excitement of finding someone alive flowed through her. To find someone alive that she knew was even better. Someone like Severus would be a brilliant addition to their cause and his mind hadn't seemed to lost any of its sharpness either. Harry would be delighted to know he'd survived and was sure to welcome him into their camp. Ron, well, she was less sure about him but he'd warm to the idea soon enough… And if he didn't, that was his problem. Long after his breathing had become even and deep, she flipped onto her side and peered at him through the gloom. Now that he couldn't catch her, she took a long look. He was so painfully thin it was clear the last few years had not been kind. The deep lines had softened now that he slept but they were still evident, even in his relaxed state. She shook her head and turned away, the world hadn't been kind to any of them since this outbreak. They all looked careworn and haggard. It was as though the joy had been leeched from the world, leaving behind their current situation. Hermione forced aside the dark thoughts and shut her eyes; sleep was a long time in coming.

Dawn light filtered through the tatty curtains and onto her face. She groaned and threw her hand over her face in a vain attempt to stop her true ascent to the conscious world. "Come on Granger, I thought you wanted to make good ground today." His rough voice snapped her awake and she rubbed her eyes as she sat up.

"Hmmm," she mumbled as her eyes focused. "Did you sleep alright?" she asked as she swung her legs from under the blanket and into the crisp morning air. He nodded and moved away from the window. A shiver ran through her and she wrapped her arms around her body before she stood. Bending down, she placed her knife back at her side and sighed. "Have everything you need?" He nodded again and she gave a wry half smile. She bent and folded up her blanket, replacing it from where it came from and made sure everything was in place. "Let's go," she said. Without a word, he stalked from the room. As she followed, she couldn't help feel like a naughty school girl once more. Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. He'd said himself that she was no longer a student and she had no need to feel so awkward.

When they reached the hatch, he turned down the ladder. He looked around the ground floor of the building before he climbed down silently. When his feet were set, he gave her a nod and she followed. This was always the worst part. If the Restless did manage to enter the building in the night, it was a bugger to get them out the next day. Usually it meant killing, which meant risking death. The wounds they inflicted may not be infectious but they were always nasty. Having someone with her made this part that much easier. Slowly, she climbed down the ladder and joined him on the ground floor.

Silently, they both made their way to the door of the gloomy house. This time, she went first. Easing the handle up, she opened it slowly, knowing that the hinges were well oiled and they wouldn't make a sound. Looking first one direction and then the other, she realised it was clear and they could proceed. She gave him a wave and together, they crept out into the open. They crept along the side of the house and into the open once more.

As soon as they left the protection of the house, the bitter wind bombarded them with its icy fingers. Hermione shank into her jacket, wishing to hell that she still owned her scarf; it had been abandoned when they'd fled Hogwarts in a hurry. It wasn't the first time she longed for it, and a good pair of gloves wouldn't have gone amiss either. Maybe she should organise a raid to a clothing store and get some.

"The faster we move, the warmer we'll both be." His gravelly voice jerked her from her thoughts and she nodded. His lips were turning a rather despondent shade of blue and his skin was paler than ever. Picking up the pace in response to his request, she found he was right. They trotted along a long forgotten road in silence until they reached a crossroads. Pausing for a moment, Hermione's stomach made the announcement that it needed food. She hadn't eaten since noon the day before and she sighed. Swinging her pack from her back, she dug into it and pulled out another foul-tasting chew bar that served as trail rations. "What is that?" Severus asked as she took bite of the awful stuff.

"Hard tack." Her answer was crisp and he frowned.

"Pardon?"

"Used to pass as food for sailors, it's a mix of flour, water and I think its sawdust." He pulled a face but didn't hesitate when she broke a piece off and handed it to him.

"Definitely sawdust," he said after tasting it.

"It's surprisingly good at keeping you going, even if it is gross." She swung her pack back onto her shoulder and took a step forward. "We're making good time. The next safe-house is still a few hours away though so we should keep going." He gave a curt nod and they set off once again.

The problem occurred when they were approaching the safe-house. They both stopped and ducked beneath the grass as the moaning started. Between them and their destination, were four shambling Restless. Mindless dead creatures they were. One of them looked as though it had been dead for many years; stretched, thin flesh hung from bones that showed through in several places. Rags hung from its shoulders, the vague remains of trousers clung to discoloured hips. The female of the four wore a tattered dress and was missing an eye. Lank hair clung to mangy skull and she shambled behind the others. The other two males were in better condition, they scanned the landscape for anything that resembled life.

Hermione held her breath, knowing that a single sound would give away their position. Carefully, she unslung her crossbow from her belt. Severus gripped her arm, showing her the large knife he held in his hand. He made a couple of gestures and she nodded. The rose together. She aimed, let her breathing slow, and released. The woman was taken down. The other three turned. She'd reloaded as she stood, re-aimed and fired. The shot went wide, taking one in the shoulder rather than the head. Useless. They had to be shot in the head!

Now they were shuffling over to them. The key was to kill them quickly before they could make a lot of noise. Noise would attract more of them and make travelling nearly impossible. She yanked her knife from her side and strode forward. There was no hesitation in her actions, only the sure confidence of many past kills. She brought her hand up, ducked around one of the remaining males as it reached for her and plunged the knife into the back if its head. A squelch, then a flood of greyish, brown fluid ran over her hand. Yanking her weapon free, the Restless fell to the floor with a bitter thud. The other two were making their way towards her dark companion.

She watched as he dispatched first one, then the other, with cool efficiency. The blade he handled was clearly a weapon with which he was very familiar. He flicked disgusting matter from the blade and gave a curt nod. Approaching him wordlessly, she jerked her head towards the door and they entered the gloomy safe-house. A deep, forlorn cry echoed across the open fields and they exchanged a knowing glance. Hastily, they found the ladder to the upper floor, scrambled up it and pulled it in.

Scampering over to the window, they looked out across the darkening fields to see the shambling, shuffling movements of a multitude of Restless. "Looks like we're going to be here a while, that's a rather large pack." Hermione whispered.

Behind her, she felt the man nod his agreement. "Could be well over a hundred of them there."

"Might as well get comfortable," she said. Then she remembered that there were no couches in the house. She swallowed and shook her head. Surely she was old enough to not get worked up about trivial details such as this. Leaving the window, she crossed the room and pulled some of the blankets out of the wardrobe and threw them onto the metal frame double bed. There were a few tins of food on the shelf and she helped herself to a couple. Opening them up, she took one of the bowls and mixed the contents together, making something that could be passed for a meal. She also removed one of the water bottles and handed it to her companion. He took it and remained looking out the window as she began to eat. When he joined her sat on the bed, she passed him the bowl and he too ate his fill.

"I'll take the floor," he said when he placed his bowl on the windowsill.

"Don't be an idiot."

"It's not ri-"

"Severus, it's bloody freezing already and as soon as the sun's been down for more than half an hour it's going to get worse. I'll not have you sleeping on a cold floor when there is enough space for both of us in the bed," she snapped. "It's not like we're going to be naked or anything," she added for good measure. Slowly, he nodded.

"Very well," he murmured. She kicked off her shoes, placed her pack by the side of the bed, her knife on top of it and her crossbow by the side. Then she jumped under the blankets and curled into a little ball. She hadn't been wrong when she mentioned that it was damned cold. Once more, she found herself longing for the comfortable beds of Hogwarts and the warmth of a fire. The bed creaked as he shifted and joined her beneath the blankets. A chuckle escaped her lips and he raised a brow.

"Sorry, never thought I'd see the day I'd be in bed with professor Snape…" she trailed off at the look of fury in his eyes. Slowly, it changed and he too began to chuckle. A low, gentle sound that she'd never heard before.

"Go to sleep Granger, we've a long way to go yet." This night, sleep found her almost instantly.


	5. Chapter 5

Despite her earlier reassurances, Severus didn't sleep at all that night. It didn't seem right sharing a bed with one who had once been his student. All he could picture was the bushy haired young child who was desperate for his, and everyone else's for that matter, approval. Sure, she'd grown into an attractive adult now; he hadn't failed to notice that. The way she moved had aroused long dead sensations and as his prick had twitched, he'd cursed inwardly. Telling himself that she was the first friendly female he'd seen in long years hadn't helped much and now he was lying on the same bed as her. He kept his breathing even, regular and hoped to Merlin that she'd not notice the tension thrumming through his body.

She sighed in her sleep and rolled over, facing him. In sleep, her face was much calmer, the worry lines around her eyes faded and she looked younger than ever. Groaning, he flipped away from her and forced his eyes shut. It reminded him sharply of their difference in age and how inappropriate it was for him to be next to her. His mind made up, he began shifting off the bed. A hand grasped his wrist, stopping him dead. "Don't even think about it," she muttered. Sighing, he relaxed back onto the bed as best he could.

"Are you so desperate to share your bed with me?" he hissed.

"It's bloody freezing," she said. In the gloom he could see the warm expression on her face, not expecting anything more from him than shared heat. He closed his own eyes and let out another sigh. Why was this always so bloody difficult? Maybe he should have stayed on his own, maybe… A warm body snuggling into his side cut off his grousing. He froze. "I'm not asking for a lasting emotional connection Severus, just a little warmth."

"Turn away from me," he barked. His voice sounded rough, even for him.

"Jeez…" she hissed.

"Turn away," he insisted. When she still didn't move, he rolled his eyes, "For once, just do as I ask you without huffing or questioning!"

"I do not huff," she said. She did roll over however and he let out a held breath. When she was settled, he curled around her, using his hand to pull her small body flush against his. She let out a gasp of surprise before snuggling into the blankets. Her hand patted his and he could hear her smile. "Thank you," she whispered. He grunted a response. It didn't help his situation all that much but she'd stop moving about if she was warm.

He must have fallen asleep at some point during the night for when he next opened his eyes; she'd turned to face him again. Their legs were a tangle of limbs and she was pressed flush against his chest. Moving would just waken her but in their current position, he was very aware of her soft skin, her still plump breasts pressing against him and her scent. Her delicious scent assaulted his nose and the long forgotten pressure appeared in his crotch again. Well, it proved he was a man still, he snorted to himself. Still, best get out of the situation before she noticed and he embarrassed himself.

"Hermione," he whispered.

"Mmpfff?" she murmured.

Next thing he knew, pain erupted from his eye and he shouted, covering it with both hands. She tumbled from him, "Oh Merlin! I'm so, so sorry!" she gasped as she scooted into a sitting position. Slowly, the white and black spots faded from his eye, "Let me see!"

"Leave it," he said as he removed his hand. The light seemed overly bright and his eye throbbed a little but he didn't think there was much damage done. Hermione's hands covered her mouth and he frowned. "What?"

"Look, I'm really sorry…"

"What?"

"I think you're going to have a black eye. I didn't mean to."

"I know," he said. He rose from the bed and stepped into the cold air. He shivered a little and jerked his frockcoat closed. Crossing to the window, he looked outside. Pale sunlight flooded down from a clear sky. A harsh frost had bit into the ground, making the landscape look as dead as the rest of the world. There wasn't a Restless in sight. He let out a deep sigh. "We can move on."

Hermione nodded, "Bathroom first!" she said.

Twenty minutes later, they were on the road again. The wind had stopped at least and the temperature wasn't as low as it had been for the past couple of days. "We should arrive back at camp at about midday," Hermione said as they turned down a wider road. Grass showed through the cracks and there were a couple of abandoned cars. All of them rusted, most of them beyond repair.

"I'm sure my presence is going to cause a stir," he said. It was her turn to fall silent and just nod. "Are you sure you want to take me there?"

"Why would you ask that?" she said, "I'm still having trouble realising that it's actually you… the chances of finding someone you know alive is well, it's just unheard of."

"Indeed," he nodded. "Though I'm sure there are some who are going to raise questions about my past." It was always going to be a sticking point. The truth may be known by some but there would always be those who questioned it. Always be the ones who wanted him as a scapegoat. Those who wanted someone to blame.

"I'll not hear a bad word against you," she said fiercely. Her venom took him by surprise and he glanced at her sidelong. "You've been through enough; I won't allow that ordeal to continue." He raised a brow at her protectiveness, not sure how to take it. There was no trace of pity in her voice yet she had no reason to feel outrage on his behest either. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and followed her, falling silent once more.

The morning passed amicably enough, however when Hermione passed him another share of the disgusting hard tack and announced they were less than an hour away from their destination, he began to grow pensive, what if they did react badly? How much of that would one girl be able to negate? A grown, intelligent witch she was but she wouldn't be able to fight them all. Maybe it would be best if he just slipped away. Nobody would truly want him there, not after everything that happened during the war. He ran a hand over his face, pushing oily hair from his face and let out a sigh. Hermione stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"It'll be alright," she said stopping until she was walking alongside him. He grunted a response, not wanting to admit his thoughts to anyone. His thoughts turned inward, skirting over the events that had occurred back then. Dumbledore… he'd been so sure that his course of action had been the correct one, if only he could see what had happened since his demise. He couldn't help but laugh, albeit inwardly, at the irony of it all. They'd fought and destroyed the Dark Lord only to have the world degenerate to this monstrosity.

A small hand clapped his shoulder, disrupting his morose thoughts and he tilted his head to the side, "Not enough to render my almost blind, do you need to break my arm as well?" he groused. She had the decency to look flustered for a moment before letting out a loud burst of laughter. His eyes widened at that, he'd not expected her to laugh, yet he was far from offended.

"Come on, it's just up this path," she said. The excitement in her voice was clear, "We can get a hot bath and some decent food as well!" she added as she pushed on. The thought made his knees weak. When was the last time he'd felt hot water caress his flesh? He couldn't remember. The last time he'd had a hot meal had been about two months ago when he'd taken shelter from a vicious storm in a deserted house back up the A1.

The path itself didn't look like much; it was overgrown, shabby and secluded. He supposed that was the whole idea but as they followed it, it opened out. Ahead of them appeared to be a large, walled building surrounded by a chain link fence. There was a patch of ground and then another chain linked fence topped with vicious looking barbed wire. The building itself was a truly forbidding place. Made of dark stone, it too looked as though it was designed for security. "You live in a prison?" he asked, raising a brow.

"It's safe Severus. I'd rather be here in this ugly building and safe than in a pretty house under attack all the time," she said. Her reply made sense and he nodded.

"Wise choice," he muttered. As they approached the building, his feet seemed to grow heavier. The thought of meeting all those people again made a knot in the pit of his stomach and he found his throat dry. He allowed her to lead the way, gaining a few extra moments of relative solitude before they were spotted. He took a deep breath as Hermione stepped from behind a large shrub and waved her arms over her head. A voice called out to them and she held up two fingers.

"Come on," she gestured. Taking a deep breath and swallowing any kind of emotion, he stepped out from behind the shrub as well. Slowly, they approached the gate, which was opened for them by an unfamiliar face.

"Welcome back Hermione," said the young fellow. The smile he gave her made his eyes narrow a fraction but he remained silent on the matter. Best not to say much until he learned exactly who these people were and where they all stood.

"Thanks Matt," she nodded before motioning for him to follow her. He inclined his head a fraction before doing so. Once they were inside, he afforded another look around. From this side of the building, all he could see was the large entrance and more barbed wire. The door was open however and she urged him through. "I need to let people know you're here," she said making it sound as though it was an apology. Ushering him into a little room, possible once a guard's room, she sat him on one of the seats and smiled. "I'm going to find someone."

"Very well," he said. He'd calmed his voice to the point where he sounded vaguely like he did in the classroom. When her hand gave his shoulder a squeeze, he frowned. Then she was gone. Whoever it was she brought, this next part wasn't going to be easy.


	6. Chapter 6

After making sure Severus was sat down and not likely to run off, Hermione darted out of the reception room in search of someone in charge. Although she was quite high up herself, it wasn't just her responsibility to make sure people were safe to let in. She had no fears that he'd be judged otherwise, he'd be valuable to their cause, but she couldn't admit him on her own. She roamed the stark, white halls, looking for someone who would be able to help. It didn't take long. Poking her head into the common room, she saw Harry chatting away with Moody about something.

"Harry!" she squealing, knowing her excitement showed in her voice.

"Jesus Hermione," Harry said. He stood and looked over her, concern echoed in his green eyes, "What's wrong."

"Look, I'll explain everything, stop gawping and come with me."

"I'll come too," Moody said.

"Yes! That'll be great." Without further conversation, she turned on her heels and headed back to the room where she'd left Severus. Her heart began to pound as they approached the door and she couldn't keep silent any more. Pausing as she walked, the other two stopped behind her. "I should probably explain a little."

"Would be nice Hermione," Harry said. A frown had marred his face and his arms were folded over his chest.

"I found someone while I was out," she started. Moody fixed her with his roving eye as she shifted from foot to foot. Wiping her sweaty palms on her trousers, she had no idea why she was suddenly feeling so off.

"Who did you find?" Moody growled.

"Look, don't fly off the handle or anything," she said as they approached the office. She swallowed; despite how dry her throat had become and stepped through the door. Taking a seat beside her erstwhile professor, she folded her hands in her lap. She watched as Harry's eyes widened just as Moody's narrowed.

"She found me, Mr Potter," Severus said. For this first time, he sounded like had back in the classroom and Hermione bit back a smile. Moody recovered first.

"Severus?" His deep frown was marred only by the enlarged eyeball that insisted on roaming the room.

"Yes Alistair," he nodded. Hermione noted that his expression was back to the impassive mask it had always been and she folded her arms over her chest. Giving Harry a nudge, it startled him out of his shock and he shook his head.

"Sorry, I'm just a little… surprised to see you." Harry said. He moved to the other side of the small room and sank behind the desk. Moody followed. Hermione swallowed again, hoping to whatever God would listen, that they'd accept him like she said they would. "How have you been?"

Severus looked down at his tattered clothes; she knew he looked far from his best and that would shock Harry almost as much as him being there alive. "How do you think?" he replied.

"Where were you?" This time, it was Moody who spoke. His arms were folded over his narrow chest and his eyes were wary.

"Wandering, alone." Severus said. He didn't offer any elaboration on his whereabouts and Hermione felt a stone form in her stomach.

"For five years?"

"Correct."

Silence descended. Harry shifted in his seat and Moody just glared. Hermione coughed. "Look, I know there's a lot of unresolved issues between us all but I don't think we should let one of our own wander about out there alone," she said. Moody turned his eye to her but Harry looked thankful that she'd spoken. "A lot has changed since we last saw Severus. The least we can do is offer aid to one of the most brilliant minds the wizarding world knows."

"Quite right," Harry said. There was a smile on his face again and she let out a small sigh. Moody nodded too, which surprised her. "I'm sure you're keen to get cleaned up and such. Hermione, would you be able to show Severus to one of the cells?" he asked. She nodded willingly, happy enough that they seemed to have allowed him to stay.

"We'll discuss this," Moody said. His tone was flat and he turned to Harry, who just nodded.

"Come on," she gestured to Severus who had fallen silent once more. He rose and followed her from the room. Her fists clenched and relaxed as she walked. They walked through the mostly empty prison. Evidence of other people living there was confined to the cells. A few personal items made each one unique and the place had a general lived in feel to it. At the end of the block, were a few vacant cells, all of which were open. "You may as well pick one," she said with a quick wave of her hand.

"Who has the keys?" he asked before he even looked at them.

"Harry has a set, there's one in the first cell which also has a few things in it for everyone's use. Like extra blankets and the like. These cell doors are never locked, the outer doors are sealed at night and so are most of the internal ones, in case there is a breach overnight." Hermione explained as he began to look around.

"How many people are there here?" he asked.

"Fourteen, not counting you."

"All the time?"

"Of course not. There are always patrols going out during the day and often, many of us are out searching for clues, knowledge or anything that may well give us a clue as to what happened." Hermione explained. "Currently, there's not that many of us here."

He selected one of the cells; furthest from anyone else's and set his pack onto the floor. The knife followed and he sat on the edge of the bed. Hermione watched as a flicker of an intense emotion washed over his face for a moment. As soon as it appeared, it was gone and she shook her head. He rose, flicking oily hair back from his face and caught her eye, "What?" he asked somewhat defensively. Her heart quickened at being caught witnessing the emotion and she felt a flush rise on her cheeks, yet she didn't know why.

"I'll show you where the shower room is." She managed to stammer out before turning on her heel and striding off. His footsteps echoed behind her, at least he was following!

The shower room was nothing like they'd had at Hogwarts but it wasn't unpleasant. She knew he would relish the thought of being clean again and the expression on his face was a picture when he saw it. Hermione pulled a towel from the nearby rail and handed it to him with a nod. "If you put your clothing in that basket there, it'll be cleaned for you."

"I'm not sure what will be left once it's been done," he muttered as he took the towel.

"There's clean clothes in the hamper just there," she pointed to it and he nodded, "We don't often get people from the outside but when we do find them, they often need new thing to wear." The image of him walking around naked made her flush slightly and she dismissed it back to where it came from. He looked over at the stalls and nodded. "I'll wait for you just out there, take as long as you want though, I have a book."

"You have books?" This time, there was no mistaking the spark in his eyes. She nodded and some of the tension seemed to leave him.

"Not many b-"

"As long as it's not _Jane Eyre_…" he muttered, cutting her off. She looked a little puzzled at that but smiled anyway

"We'll visit the library after you're clean ok?"

"Don't you wish to shower too?" he asked finally.

"More than anything but unless you're completely comfortable with me in there with you, I shall wait until later." His slight flush and open mouth told him everything and she turned away with a smirk.

"Hermione…" She looked back over her shoulder and raised a brow, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

He didn't reappear for a good forty five minutes. Hermione didn't mind, she could remember how she was when they'd first had showers at their disposal. She'd showered daily, sometimes twice, for nearly a month until Harry had told her it was rather excessive. She ran her hand through her curly hair and snorted, it was getting long again, reaching past her shoulders. At first, the boys had tried to convince her to get it cut short, like Tonks' hair but there was no way she could do it. She'd tried to tell them that although the world had changed, she still wanted to feel like a woman on occasion.

Severus reappeared wearing an oversized pair of black jeans and an enormous polo neck black jumper. She smiled at the look on his face, something between a scowl and a frown, "Nothing else even remotely fit," he grunted.

"How do you feel?" she asked. He looked at her stunned for a moment and she clapped him lightly on the bicep.

"Clean," he said.

"Library then?"

"Don't you wish to shower first?" She flushed a little, taking this to mean that she didn't smell too pleasant after their time on the road and she nodded. "I will wait for you here." She scooted into the shower without another word and set about cleaning both her body and her hair. It never took her all that long and within fifteen minutes, she stood before him once more, clean with her hair wrapped in a towel. "Better?"

"Yes," she replied, "I probably smell it too!"

"That's not what I meant," he said dryly. She gave a little shrug before smiling again.

"Now, the library isn't much," she said as they started walking again, "But it's what we have and I find comfort there more than anywhere else." He only gave a curt nod as they walked through the prison. The room she stopped at looked like a classroom with heavy bars on the windows. Although the room was gloomy, she knew there were plenty of books on the shelves. "Go and have a look round," she encouraged as she leaned against the doorjamb. She was trying to judge his reaction from his carefully schooled face but he gave nothing away. With a small sigh, she followed him into the room.


	7. Chapter 7

The hot water cascading over his skin for the first time in five years had been divine. He'd spent a good twenty minutes scrubbing the grime and grease from his black hair and ensuring that it was thoroughly clean. Then he'd washed it again. It felt amazing to not be covered in grime and dirt. He felt lighter than he had in years and he allowed himself to smile about it while he was alone. He may not be completely comfortable with where he was and who he was surrounded by but damn it, he had clean underwear on and that went a long way towards making it alright.

Hermione had then insisted on dragging him to the library in a move that was typical for her, even after the major changes that had happened. He'd walked silently, taking in his surroundings. It was all a little overwhelming and he found the lump that had settled in his throat was refusing to shift. Instead of responding to her prattling, he decided that a good look around was in order. It would give his tumultuous emotions a chance to settle and besides, he desperately wanted to read something that wasn't classic literature. Making sure his face gave away none of his inner thoughts; he paced around the library while Hermione leaned against the doorjamb.

When he found the section on magical arts, he nearly broke. Picking up a long forgotten volume, he flicked the pages open and let out a sigh. Hermione chuckled low in her throat but he didn't have the willpower to turn around and berate her for it. He'd more likely crack and make a complete fool of himself instead. He took a long moment to steel himself for the next part. Turning around, he gave a brief nod and she smiled, "Hungry?" she asked.

"Yes," he muttered. His stomach let out a deep grumble and she smiled.

"Come on, it's not dinnertime yet but there will be food that we can steal."

He merely nodded and followed her to another part of the prison. It turned out that the mess room was back near their cells. He made sure he knew where all these places were and that he would be able to remember them. The mental map he made would no doubt come in handy over the next few days; he would hate to get lost and have to ask someone like Potter for help. Hermione ushered him into the room and made him sit on one of the plastic benches. She returned a moment later with two bowls of steaming hot stew.

Looking down at the bowl she'd placed in front of him, he placed his hands around it. It was warm. No, it was hot. He was sat at a table with a bowl of hot food in front of him. At that moment, he was glad his hair still fell over his eyes when he looked forward. The lump in his throat returned and he swallowed hard. Hermione had pushed a spoon into his hand and was busily digging into her own meal. Slowly, he lowered the spoon and dipped it into the thick gravy. Placing the warm food in his mouth, he swallowed and felt the heat tumble down his throat and into his belly, settling in the old familiar way.

As he ate some more of the divine food, he felt his resolve crumbling. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, unaware of anything else. Trying to eat the rest was futile unless he wanted to choke on it. He screwed his eyes shut and pushed the ordeal to the back of his mind, not wanting his companion to see how he was affected by the simple kindness he'd been shown.

He was startled back to his location when warm hands brushed against his. A concerned voice penetrated his thoughts and he looked up a fraction before realising his cheeks would be wet and visible for everyone to see. "It's alright," Hermione whispered softly.

"How is any of this 'alright'?" he hissed.

"The first time we ate stew here, I cried all night." His frown deepened at her sympathy but she continued anyway, "And that was after a mere six months on the road. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like after five years." She slipped her warm hand into his cool one and gave it a squeeze. He found that he was gripping it back and that he was unable to stop the tears now they'd begun. Looking down at the table, he let the water spot onto it unhindered as the emotion raged through him.

Pathetic fool, he cursed himself, don't make yourself look so weak in front of Granger. She didn't seem to mind overly much but that wasn't the point. He'd never been one to show his feelings and now was not the time to make such a change. "It's alright to be human Severus," she whispered as though she'd guessed his line of thought.

He snorted and wiped his cheeks on his sleeve before sniffing rather loudly. She pressed a tissue into his hand and smiled softly. After he'd blown his nose, he dared to look up. Her gaze was sympathetic but not pitiful, for which he was very thankful. "Thank you for the stew," he said picking up the spoon once more. He saw the sting in her eyes but did nothing to relieve it. It was bad enough that she'd seen his emotional display, no need for him to mire her down with his internal thoughts as well. This time, he was able to eat the stew without another outburst.

When they were both done, he stood and picked up both of the empty bowls, "What do we do with these?" he asked.

"There's a bowl behind the counter for washing the dishes in," she said. He strode to the counter and washed them both quickly before turning back to her. She smiled and he nodded coolly. "I think you need to tell me how this place works," he said.

"Later," she said with a wave of her hand. He folded his arms over his chest and gave her a level stare, "Don't you look at me like that either! I have to make some notes on what I've discovered for the records and then I'm going to go to sleep. It's been a long few days. I suggest you do the same."

He frowned at her sudden change in attitude but dismissed it almost immediately. If she wanted to play cool, it was fine with him. He picked up the book he'd left on the table and gave a nod. "Lead on then Granger," he replied. She strode from the room and he followed, close on her heels. Once back in the cell room, he retreated back to his space, no longer craving company at all. Flopping onto the bed, he relaxed and flicked the book open. Time disappeared and before long, he felt his eyes grow heavy. Making sure his knife was in arms reach; he flipped onto his side and pulled the blanket over his body. It felt strange to be on a mattress, in a safe place that was warm. The warmth spread through him quickly and that, along with the hot food had him sleeping within moments.

When he awoke again, it was dark. Blinding pain ripped through his belly and he grunted. Staggering to his feet, he pulled his wand into his hand and muttered, "Lumos." Clutching his stomach, he made his way slowly to the bathroom. Once there, the pain intensified and it felt as if he'd been kicked in the gut. Curling around the toilet, his temperature dropped and he coughed up everything he'd eaten earlier. When the retching finally ceased, he was left trembling and cold on the floor. The ache in his stomach seemed to have lessened at least but it took a moment for him to summon the strength to get back on his feet.

"Here, drink this," an unfamiliar voice said from behind him. He turned his head slowly and took the glass of water. "Happened to me the first time I ate here too, and the time after that. In fact, it took about a week for it to take anything that wasn't tinned or cold." It was the young lad who had been on the gate, Matt.

"Thank you," he muttered after taking a long swig of the water. The lad nodded before heading into one of the other cubicles. Severus pushed off from the wall and staggered back to bed, shivering and hoping that he'd be able to stomach the food better in a few days. It had tasted divine after all! He'd got half way down the hall when he heard Hermione cry out. Snapping his head around, he walked to her cell. She was sound asleep yet tossed and turned in her bunk like a creature possessed. Unaware of what she was seeing, he slipped into her cell and sat on the edge of her bed.

Comfort giving was not something he did normally, or ever. Yet she had been so understanding of his outburst earlier that he owed her something. Taking her hand in his, he gave it a squeeze, just as she had done. Instantly, the girl stilled and her crying ceased. Pressure on his hand made him start a little but she didn't wake. He wondered why she hadn't displayed such behaviour when they were out in the world but dismissed the idea for now. The cramps in his stomach had reappeared, driving most thoughts from his mind. He dearly hoped he wasn't going to be sick again, doing so on the floor of Hermione's cell would not only be embarrassing, it would make people ask questions as to what he was doing there in the first place. He swallowed hard and unlaced his fingers from hers. She didn't cry out again and he silently, slowly left her sleeping where she was.

Returning to his own bed, he slipped into the blankets and forced his eyes shut. Even if he did feel the urge to vomit again, he'd do so on his own floor rather than anyone else's. Sleep was a long time coming for him, and when it did finally arrive, it was haunted. His dreams penetrated by the ever present threat of the Restless.


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as dawn broke, Hermione was awoken by a disgruntled looking Ron and a stern faced Rolanda. She waved them away; already suspecting what this would be about and dragged herself out of her nice warm bed. The frigid air had gooseflesh all over her arms in a matter of moments and she pulled on a thick dressing gown she'd had the fortune of finding several months back on a raid. Wrapping it around her body, she slipped on her battered pair of trainers and followed the other two with a nod. Pushing her hair back from her face, she noticed that everyone else was either asleep or out. The sound of soft snores reached her and she dearly hoped that Severus had managed to get some rest. Somehow, she doubted it. It had taken her weeks to be comfortable enough in their safety to sleep properly. Even now, she had nights when she couldn't find peace of mind enough to rest.

Ron glared at her before ushering her into the room that had been converted into a meeting room. Harry and Moody were on one side of the table; Molly, Neville and Trelawney were on the other. Her heart sank as she knew what this would be about and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sinking into one of the chairs, she rested her hands on the table in an open manner; there was no need to appear standoffish before they'd even begun speaking. Harry slid a hot cup of tea in front of her before coughing. Wrapping her cold fingers around the cup, she waited for them to begin. It was Ron who spoke first.

"How could you do it Hermione?" he asked. His freckled cheeks were red and his eyes had dark circles underneath. He was clearly tired from lack of sleep, though that was nothing unusual for someone who had been out for a few days.

"Do what Ron?" she asked, deciding to play innocent until his outrage was made clear.

"Bring him here? After everything that happened."

"How could I not?" Hermione countered calmly. She took a sip of tea and let out a small sigh, "Is that what this meeting is about?" she asked, looking at the faces around the table. It was Moody who nodded.

"There are some here that object to Severus' presence among us," he said. She couldn't help wonder if he was one of them but dismissed the thought. Whatever Alistair Moody was, he wasn't vindictive. "We wanted to speak of your experiences out there before we made a final decision about whether he stays or not."

Despite Moody's calm explanation, she felt her ire rising. Her cheeks coloured as though she'd been slapped and she let out a snort. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she snapped.

"It means that before any of this happened; he was on the other side!" Molly replied, "Some of us, myself included, feel that we need to be a bit more careful before we start letting in ex-Death-Eaters into our group."

Hermione let out a sigh; there it was, laid bare. "What do you want to know?" She flicked her hair back and glared at Harry, then Ron.

"What was he like to travel with?" Trelawney asked. Hermione turned to look at the bug eyed woman and this time, did roll her eyes.

"Honestly? Quiet. Like someone who had been missing company for five years and didn't quite know what to make of it when he found it. I suppose a little relieved too," she replied. She kept her tone level, despite the irritation she felt. Doing her best to swallow it down, she added. "Helpful in a fight too… We came across some Restless and he pitched in."

"As you would hope," Harry added. She gave him a nod, knowing the doubts hadn't come from him.

"Any trace of-"

"No, nothing Ron," Hermione snapped, "Just another person struggling to survive in this god forsaken place that we call home."

"Now Hermione, there's no need fo-"

"Shut up Molly, if that was anyone else out there, you'd accept them without pause or question. Have none of you stopped to think how much help he could be? Not a single one of you has thought about our research?" Her gaze fell on all the faces around the table. Trelawney, Ron and Molly shifted uncomfortably. Rolanda met her stare levelly, as did Harry and Moody. "Is there anything else you want from me or can I leave this ridiculous meeting and go back to bed? Some of us have been working out there and need the rest!"

Ron exchanged a pleading glance at Harry; Hermione rolled her eyes, "Look, for God sake! If you want someone to act as a guarantor for him, I will but I don't think it's really necessary!" With that, she left the little room, not wanting to hear the rest of the farcical meeting. Too angry to return to her room, she headed for the shower and the solace the hot water could offer her.

As soon as she was under the shower head, she felt her anger being washed away. Slowly, as her temper cooled, she began to see why some of them would be suspicious of Severus. As far as they knew, he'd worked for Voldemort during the wizarding war and even though he had been cleared just before the outbreak, the events were hazy. His pardon happened at the same time and the Daily Prophet hadn't made a big thing of it. Instead, they'd focused on the outbreak. The news had stopped shortly after that and the role of the ex-Death-Eater became insignificant.

The sound of someone hurrying into the large bathroom, followed by vomiting made her pause. Turning off the water, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped into the cold air of the room. Wrapping another towel around her shoulders, she crossed the room and waited for the toilet to flush, "Everything alright?" she asked.

"Fine," Severus' voice grumbled. A moment later, he opened the door. His eyes widened and he shut it again, "Put some bloody clothes on woman!" he barked. Hermione let out a laugh and shook her head in mirth.

"Alright, give me a moment." She scooted back over to her cubicle and dressed herself, making sure she was dry before pulling on the warm clothes she had brought with her. "I'm decent." He opened the door once more and gave her an appraising look. She, in turn, did the same and noticed that he was looking pale and drawn.

"Rough night?"

He nodded a response. "Not sure if I was ready for such food," he muttered.

"Maybe not."

"What about you? You look a little irate this morning."

"Well, I was dragged out of bed to attend an early morning meeting about a point that shouldn't even need to be discussed." Hermione wrapped a towel around her wet hair, squeezing the excess moisture out of the length before creating a turban with it. He raised a brow when she didn't elaborate and a pang of regret went through her. Not at him being there but of her having to mention the ordeal in the first place.

"They don't want me here, do they?" he said. She was unable to hide her reaction or lie to him about it.

"I told them that they were being foolish and that you could assist us as soon as you were better. Still, some of them demanded to know what you were like and such. I just told them that if there was a problem, I'd deal with it." She missed out the part about being a guarantor, feeling it unnecessary and rather more hurtful than she wanted to be.

"I see."

She looked him over once again before making a decision, "If you're not up for breakfast, perhaps I can show you some of the tasks we have to do around here?" He nodded his agreement and she smiled. "I'll pop these in my cell and meet you outside the library in ten minutes." He nodded again and she turned on her heels and left him there.

It didn't take long for them to reconvene and when they did, she felt a lot calmer. Without a word, she led him to the front entrance again and out into the yard. Outside, the weather was crisp, clear and clean. A sharp frost had frozen the ground solid and given the whole area the look of a Christmas card. She wrapped her arms around her as the chill was a sharp contrast to the interior of the prison but she soon adjusted. "During the spring, we plant crops out here and tend them."

"Where did the seeds come from?" he asked as they walked over the cold ground.

"Some of them were here already," she answered as they picked their way through the rows, "Some of them we acquired from a nearby garden centre and some of them we filched from places we visited on our scouting trips. We try and keep enough produce to keep us going through the winter."

"How long have you been here?"

"Two and a half years now. It was difficult in the beginning." A bitter memory threatened to poke its ugly way into her thoughts but she pushed passed it, refusing to focus on the darker times. "We had very little food and this place was crawling with the Restless." The pressure of his hand on her shoulder gave her pause and she looked behind her into his fathomless black eyes. His simple attempt at reassurance was enough and she brightened. "When the weather breaks, there will be shifts out here tending the garden, making sure the seeds are planted correctly and everything is well cared for."

"Who does this?" he asked as they walked around.

"Neville Longbottom."

"Longbottom's alive?" The frown on his face was almost comical and she chuckled.

"Yes, he found us shortly after we fled Hogwarts." Severus shook his head in wonder and they left the gardens behind. "The other duty out here is on the gates. We don't get visitors and mostly, we're left alone by the Restless but every so often, a group of them appear and have to be dealt with."

"How?" he asked.

"Usually, we lure them to the fence and then kill them. Afterwards, we collect up the bodies and bury them in the woods." She saw him nod a curt agreement before a shiver passed through her. A breeze caressed her skin and she swallowed, "Come on, it's getting cold." He nodded and they both headed back inside, there was still a lot to explain and then she had to make sure he was rota'd in for duties. God forbid they accuse him of shirking the work as well!


	9. Chapter 9

He didn't think it was all that cold outside, if he was honest. Colder than summer surely but nowhere near as bad as it had been a couple of days ago. As they'd walked around outside the prison complex, he'd noted how organised everything seemed. If it was Potter who was in charge, it was a good change in the boy from the slovenly, slapdash attitude he'd displayed in the classroom. It was perhaps something he should know but when he opened his mouth to speak, he found the words just stuck in his throat. Coughing, he found his voice again but she'd already moved on. He gave a nod to the girl who was on the watchtower before following her inside.

"Who was that?" he asked as the warm air hit his skin, bringing a flush to his pale face.

"On watch?" he nodded, not trusting his voice all that much. "Linnie, she's Matt's sister."

"Muggles?"

"Yes. They arrived here about six months ago," Hermione said as she tossed thick hair back over her shoulder, "They'd been wondering out there for months and we just… took them in."

"Harry isn't worried about the Muggles knowing about the wizards then?"

"Doesn't seem all that relevant anymore does it?" He let out a snort and nodded, she had a good point after all, although he could hardly imagine some of his old associates agreeing even now. The thought of Lucius Malfoy consorting with Muggles, even in the face of the apocalypse, was a stretch of the imagination. He frowned at that. He'd not thought about his old companions for a very long time and he couldn't help wonder if any of them were still alive. Shaking his head to clear it, he noticed they were approaching the mess room and he schooled his face into impassivity.

Hermione opened the door and Severus followed in as though it was somewhere he belonged, as though it had never been any other way. "Go sit, I'll bring tea." He nodded and found an empty sofa. Sinking into the soft seat, he closed his eyes and let the sensation settle. It was nowhere near as overwhelming as the hot food and warmth had been last night but it came close. A safe, warm couch was a real blessing.

"Professor Snape?" a curious voice asked over the back of the sofa. He cracked open one eye and a young, fresh face surrounded by a halo of bright red hair drifted into view.

"Not any more Miss Weasley," he replied as he pushed himself into a more upright position. Professor or not, it wouldn't do to slouch in front of her. She gave a squeak as he moved and his mouth tugged upwards at the end a little.

"I suppose not," she said. Her eyes flicked to Hermione, who brought over two mugs of tea. He watched the Weasley girl's face drop in relief when Hermione plonked herself next to him on the sofa, "Hermione!" she exclaimed.

"Hey Gin," Hermione beamed.

"When did you get back?"

"Yesterday evening."

"Discover anything new?"

"You might say that," Severus said with a raised eyebrow.

"I was wondering where you appeared from," Ginny said. She wouldn't look at him directly yet, instead, she stole furtive glances through the side of her bright eyes. It made him smile inwardly; at least he still had the capacity to make people nervous. Some things wouldn't change at all, thankfully. The silence stretched between the three of them and he picked up the mug of tea on the table. He dearly hoped that his stomach would be able to handle something as simple as tea. Hermione and Ginny began chattering about their latest adventures out in the world as he listened and sipped his tea. Their talk became inane and he found that he was missing his cell and the book he'd started as well. It was good to be back with people and even better to be able to read something that wasn't classic literature.

Pushing his mug to the side, he stood and nodded to both women. Hermione gave him a questioning look but he shook his head. He knew where he was going and didn't need an escort around the place at all times. At least, he assumed he didn't. He left them talking and sought somewhere peaceful to relax. His cell was high on that list but as he was walking the corridor towards it, he was accosted by a dark haired, green eyed boy whom he had hoped to avoid for a few more hours.

"Severus," Harry said. He turned to face the lad, who was leaning in a doorway with his arms folded.

"Harry," he nodded in return.

"I wanted to welcome you here in person," he said with a scratch of his head. Severus could see the awkwardness of the boy's stance but he was trying, that meant something.

"Thank you," he replied, turning to face him.

"Would you mind…" he stood to one side and gestured for him to follow. Seeing that there was no escape from him, he did as he was bid and ducked into the small office room. "Please, sit." As soon as Severus was settled, Harry continued, "Hermione has taken a big risk bringing you here," he said.

His eyes narrowed a little and he shook his head, "I shall leave if you find my presence here so odious," he replied without giving the boy chance to explain, maybe he wasn't as mature as he seemed.

"That won't be necessary," Harry said, "I happen to agree with Hermione and think a mind like yours will be helpful in trying to figure out what has happened." Severus gave him a slight nod as he made this point, "However, she has had to vouch for you to some of the other Order Members so I will say this."

He held up his hand at this point, "Stop." Harry closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes, I'm going to ask you something now and I want you to think carefully before you answer." Harry nodded, "What did Hermione tell you?"

"You've been out there for five years."

"Correct. Five years alone. No one to help me, no one to watch out while I slept and no one to assist with any fighting that needed to be done. I don't expect you to understand what that's like nor do I want your sympathy. I do want you to think about this though. Do you honestly think I am so stupid as to put this newfound safety and companionship into any jeopardy? Hermione may have vouched for me but I assure you, it isn't needed. I intend to help you as much as I can with whatever project you're running if I can stay here." He hadn't intended to sound as pleading as he did but he found he didn't care all that much. Fending for himself had been a drain, he just hadn't realised how much so until he'd arrived here.

Harry cleared his throat and nodded, "I understand that well enough Severus, however not everyone is as open as I am. I will also still add that if you let her down, you won't stay here any longer."

Severus sighed, it seemed as though his past was something he was destined to always have loom over him like a black shadow. Maybe he deserved it; he had been responsible for the death of the boy's mother after all. Running a hand over his face, he nodded, not bothering to fight the other man's apparent low opinion of him. "So be it," he muttered. "Was there anything else?"

"I'm glad you're alive," Harry said after a pause. He extended his hand and for a moment, Severus could only look at it. Blinking, he grasped it and gave it the briefest of handshakes. He didn't speak however, not because he had nothing to say but more because he was too stunned to find any words that fit.

"I'm going to bed now," he muttered as he dropped the warm hand that clasped his slender fingers. Harry chuckled at him and nodded.

"You're on patrol tomorrow morning; I've given you the same duties as Hermione to start with, seemed like a good place to start." Severus nodded at the boy's words, still not fully grasping their meaning. When he finished speaking, he turned and headed back to his cell. Collapsing onto his bed, he picked up his book and flicked open the cover. He'd read it hundreds of times already when he was at Hogwarts but the familiar pages offered comfort as he skimmed the words once again. As he read, his eyes grew heavy and he slipped into a deep sleep, far better and more restful than the one he had the night before. This time, neither his stomach, nor the coming and going of the other residents, could disturb his rest.

A warm hand slid onto his shoulder and he whimpered a small protest as he was roused from sleep. The contact wasn't unwelcome however and he opened his dark eyes, warm brown iris' met his, glowing with cheer as his mouth jerked into a smile. As soon as it had bloomed he let it fall from his face and he frowned a little, "What is it?" Without knowing it, his hand had covered hers and she appeared to be grinning.

"I came to find you to see if you wanted to try eating something again?" Her voice was soft and he nodded.

"I'd like that." Her palm turned and she gave his cold hand a squeeze.

"Good, it'll warm you up and hopefully, you'll keep it down too."

"I'd rather not spend the night with my head down the toilet again," he nodded. He gave her warm hand a squeeze back before sitting upright. How she'd come to be sitting on the edge of his bed he had no idea but he was glad for it. He blinked a couple of times, clearing the last of sleep from his head and nodded. "You need to move if I'm to get up," he said as he dropped her hand.

"Oh! Sorry," she mumbled before scooting out the way. When she'd stood, he swung his legs off the mattress and rose upright with a yawn and a stretch.

"Lead the way," he muttered. She shot him a glance which only confused him further before walking out the cell. He couldn't help notice the wiggle in her walk as she moved. Had it always been there or was she being sassy? He wasn't sure but was content to follow her, hoping that the food would stay down this time when he tried to eat it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the slower updates folks, I am now back at work so I have less time to write. I'm going to try and update once a week but I can't promise. Thank you for all your thoughts and comments on the story so far.**

The alarm sounded that night. Hermione was ripped from a particularly comfortable dream she'd been having where she'd been relaxing in a verdant green field. There was no threat and the pervasive calm had permeated her very being. The alarm neatly destroyed that and she sat bolt upright reaching for her wand. It took a moment for her to recall that she didn't have one anymore and she cursed. Pulling on her shoes, she grabbed her crossbow instead and dashed out of her cell and into the foyer. "What's going on?" she asked. Luna and Neville exchanged a glance with her before shrugging. The sounds of everyone crawling from their beds and dashing about filled the air. Panic surrounded her and her heart began to thud in her chest.

"What's the matter?" the calm voice of Severus met her and she gave a shrug as she turned. She was pleased to see he was armed as well.

"I have no idea." Neville replied. He shank back a little when he realised who he was speaking to but soon rallied when Luna gave him a nudge.

"Come on," Luna said, her voice as dreamy and ethereal as ever. "Only one way to find out."

Hermione didn't even nod; she just strode forwards towards the entrance of the block. She could hear the others behind her at least. Luna was beside her, her eyes shaper than ever. Hermione knew she'd seen as much as the rest of them but it had affected the girl in a profound manner. She was always alert, always ready and never seemed to relax. Hermione had never seen or heard her cry about what had happened or who she'd lost. She just seemed to absorb the horror and remain who she was. How Luna did it, Hermione didn't know. Dismissing the thoughts, she snapped her attention to a pale-faced Harry, "What is it?" she whispered.

The claxon of the alarm had now ceased and they all stood waiting, silently, for the boy to answer. "It's the fence," he replied. His voice was low, as though the Restless would be able to hear him from this distance, "Lavender, Molly and Hagrid are already out there. They're near the garden." Harry explained. At this, Neville's face lost its colour and he leapt towards the door.

"We have to help them," he hissed.

"Yes, we do but not in a rush and not without a plan," Harry said. Hermione found herself nodding.

"How many of them are there?" she asked.

"Enough. You three," here, Harry pointed at Hermione, Luna and Severus, "Exit here and creep to the other side, we'll give you five minutes. We can then go at them together." Hermione nodded, it was a good idea. She just hoped those out there would have enough to last until they got there. A quick gesture and she was making her way towards the door, hoping the others were with her. They were. The door was opened and they crept through carefully. She placed an index finger on her lips and unslung her crossbow. Severus had his knife in one hand, his wand in the other. When she saw that, she shook her head and gestured for him to put it away.

Wands were fabulously useful of course but in a fight like this, it would only serve to attract more of the Restless. If the fences were down, they'd need it quiet and still so they could repair them, not have more of the dead things clamouring after them. Severus frowned but tucked his wand back into his sleeve before creeping after her. Luna was armed with a large mace-like weapon that Hermione knew she could wield with skill.

Outside, the cold air bit straight into them, finding the gaps in their clothing and chilling them in mere seconds. Hermione wrapped her arms around her as she led her small group along the edge of the building. It didn't take long to locate where their companions fought, nor did it take long to get themselves into position. She nodded towards the fight, spotting that all three of them were still standing and making good work of killing the Restless that threatened to overwhelm them. "As soon as you see the others make their move, kill as many as you can," she whispered. It seemed unnecessary to tell them that, but the silence was making her nervous. She crossed her legs suddenly aware that she was bursting for the loo.

The seconds dragged out as though they were hours, they could do nothing but watch the desperate battle play out in front of them. Lavender was dangerously close to being surrounded, Molly and Hagrid fought desperately with what weapons they could get hold of. The huge man was fending off four of the creatures, Molly was occupying three. More of them poured through the broken chain-link fence. Hermione found her mouth suddenly dry as one of them grabbed a hold of Lavender's arm, it tilted it's head back and opened its mouth as wide as it could before descending. Standing, Hermione aimed her crossbow and loosed, taking the creature in the eye. She ducked down as fast as she'd stood but it was too late, they'd been seen.

Some of the Restless turned and began shuffling over. "Go!" she shouted standing once more. Her two companions rose and they strode towards the fray. She picked her targets as she moved, firing and reloading, dropping as many as she could before they were too close. She thought she caught four before pulling her blade and stabbing the one closest to Lavender through the throat. Cold, tacky gunk flowed over her hand and she grimaced. The blood of the Restless was disgusting. Lavender, who was liberally covered in it, gave her a brief nod of thanks before turning to deal with the rest of them.

The cries of her companions flooding from the prison surrounded her and her attention was drawn once more into the fight. Her knife in hand, she aimed it another of the Restless, driving it deep into the poor creature's skull. She felt the bone crunch with a sickening crack and she had to push it back with her foot. No sooner as it hit the ground, she turned to find another one. This one she shoved back with her arms, using her weight to drive the creature away. Before it could gather itself, she stabbed it through the temple.

A deep, guttural cry from her left jerked her head around and she saw a creature hanging off the large arm of Alistair Moody. His red blood flowed into the broken mouth of a Restless. She could do nothing but stare at the rich colour as it ran onto the ground. Her eyes wide and her heart thudding, "No!" she cried as she forced herself into action. The man gave her a look filled with warning and shook his head. His teeth champed shut; he drew out a huge blade and knocked the creature on the side of the head, just as Ron arrived to beat the thing off. She let out a sigh and turned again.

This time, the stench hit her and made her stomach lurch. The smell followed these foul beings everywhere they went. Decay and death. The sickly sweet odour caught her every time but she forced her rising gorge down, there would be time for that later. A scream snapped her head around and she was in time to see one of the creatures tangle its dirty hand into Molly's hair. This time, it was Severus who was ready with a knife. He plunged his blade into the back of its head and yanked it to the ground. The look on Molly's face was gratifying and he gave her a curt nod before finding another deceased creature to fight.

A moan sounded at her feet and she glanced down to see one of them dragging itself towards her. She leapt backwards out the way of its snapping teeth and grimaced. The thing was in half, its legs somewhere else. Half of the creatures face was missing and the jaw was clearly broken. The grey skin and the dead eyes revolted her more than the gore that was trailing behind it. She raised her crossbow, not wanting to get close enough to knife the poor thing. A twang and the bolt sent it back to oblivion where it belonged.

"Alright Hermione?" Harry asked. She looked up and noticed that the fight was over. Her friends face was covered with the same black ooze that covered her hands and she nodded mutely. He clapped her on the back before moving on. Numbly, she walked around the field. The garden was completely trampled and she shook her head. Neville looked crestfallen but she had no real time to worry about that currently. Alistair was cradling his wounded arm and Severus was seeing to it, assuming the role of medic almost naturally.

The fence! The fence needed fixing and quickly, lest the Restless overrun the paddock and they have an even larger fight on their hands. She spotted Lavender and Ron were dispatching of those Restless that were lying on the ground but not dead. She trotted over to Harry and Hagrid, who were seeing to the fence, "How bad is it?" she whispered as she approached.

"One of the posts has been knocked out. Nothing we can't fix," Hagrid mumbled in his low voice. She nodded and began helping Harry pick up the post. Her limbs screamed at the strain but she held fast, there was no one else to take the slack from her; they were all working behind her. Although it didn't take long to get the post back into place, it felt like an age. By the time she was able to let go, her arms trembled from holding it upright and her legs were heavier than weights. She sucked in a ragged breath and turned back to the battlefield. The first light of dawn was just painting the sky a lemony yellow and she sighed.

Dragging herself forward, she knew she should help them but she was so damned tired and cold. A deep shiver passed through her and she wrapped her arms around herself again in order to keep warm. "Hermione?" Severus' voice appeared next to her and she turned her head slowly.

"Hmmm?" she asked turning her head.

"I need to see to that wound on Alistair's arm, can you help me?" She nodded mutely and followed him briskly back inside. As soon as she was there, the deep, gruff voice of Moody hit her and she knew the wound was bad. He was sat, pale faced in one of the side rooms where they kept the medical supplies. Severus was about to discover they were dangerously low on everything. Infection from bites was a major problem and she swallowed. She didn't know if she could stand to lose another companion.


	11. Chapter 11

Severus busied around what passed for a medical room with a deep scowl on his face. There was nothing of use in any of the cupboards and the drawers were just as bad. How the hell was he meant to fight an infection with nothing? He was surprised Hermione hadn't insisted on cultivating some herbs in the garden, it would go a long way to help them, especially with her knowledge, and that of Neville, he added grudgingly.

"Hermione!" he snapped. Swallowing when he heard how sharp he was, he shut the door softly and turned to look for her. Her pallor had not improved since the fight outside and he was worried that she would fall into a swoon. She looked around and blinked a couple of times. "Snap out of it girl!" he barked.

"She's always like this after a fight." Moody growled as he held his still bleeding arm, "Give her about ten minutes and she'll be back to herself again."

He gave a curt nod before turning back to his patient, "Is there anything that resembles a first aid kit anywhere in this building?" he asked. Moody had begun to pale; a slight sheen of sweat forming on his skin, though that could be because of the pain he was in.

"Not anymore," he replied.

"Bandages?"

"Try the bottom drawer," Moody said as he indicated a drawer beneath the table on which he sat. Severus yanked it open and discovered there were indeed a few supplies in there. A triangular sling, an extra-large torso dressing and a few gauzes were all that was left. Snatching up the massive body dressing, he tore it from the package and unravelled it. Placing it on the wound, he staunched the blood with minimal effort and waited for a while.

"So, there are no other supplies within the prison?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said as she sank down beside Moody, "When we arrived, there was enough to treat whoever was injured but we've run low on supplies."

"And you didn't think it worth the effort to go and collect some more?" he asked as he tied off the bandage.

"Of course!" she replied. "But there's the little problem of the Restless between us and the new equipment." He gave a nod and urged her to continue as he stepped back and looked at the oversized bandage on the scruffy man's arm. "Perhaps we could have gone and raided one of the towns but the Restless are not the only dangers around. Pontefract, the nearest town, is ruled by some people you'll be keen to not see." Her demeanour changed when she mentioned these people and his spine stiffened.

"Who?"

"The Malfoy's," she said. His black eyes met her amber ones with a steady gaze.

"Lucius is still going then?" he asked as he raised a brow. She nodded, remaining silent on the matter, making him wonder whether there was more to it or not. Dismissing the thought until a later date, he turned back to the matter at hand. "Either way, we need medicine. The worst kind of bite for infection and passing disease is the human one. It's liable that Moody here will fall ill and die as I have nothing to clean the wound with."

"Thank you for your overwhelming confidence in my vitality," he muttered. Severus shrugged, there was no point hiding the truth from the bad tempered man.

"I'll speak to Harry, perhaps we can make a trip into Pontefract for some bits," she said. Her tone of voice told him that she was more than tired. It was the shock of the fight no doubt and he merely nodded a response.

"Alistair, I advise you do nothing more strenuous that perhaps eat." The man grunted before leaving the room on steady feet. Without him beside her, Hermione slumped backwards and let out a sigh. Severus took her hand in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. "We should fetch some supplies and see if we can find some herbs to plant in the garden," he said. She half opened one of her eyes and nodded.

"I've been suggesting it for months but after a vicious fight the last time we went there, Harry is reluctant to send us there again," Hermione said. Her hands curled up and clasped his in hers. He was distressed to notice how his pulse quickened and how her pupils dilated as well.

"I'd go with you," he said.

"I know, maybe just the pair of us could go. It would be safer at least."

"Hmm," he nodded. He wanted to say something more, something that would comfort her but the words died on his lips and he found that all he could do was stare at her like some adolescent boy. Hermione scooted a little closer to him and the next thing he knew, her arms were around his narrow waist and her head rested on his shoulder. What the hell was she even doing? Had she forgotten everything about who he'd been? Still, his temperature rose as she embraced him and he knew his cheeks were flushed.

"This is the part where you put your arms around me too and tell me we'll be alright," she whispered in a low, soft voice. He complied with her first wish but there was no way he felt comfortable with the second.

"It would be a lie," he replied as she relaxed in his arms. Her weight was slight but she felt amazing when she leaned against him. It had been so very long since he'd had someone else's arms around him. He couldn't even remember how long ago it was now.

"Then lie to me," she replied. The slight tang of blood hit his nose as she shifted a little but it didn't make the situation disgusting. Her scent was beneath the smell and that was what he savoured.

"I'm not going to lie," he said. Maybe he should but he couldn't bring herself to do so. Maybe to anyone else, but not to her, he let her hold onto him for a long moment until a slight cough at the door brought him back to where he was. Lavender was standing in the doorway. Hermione straightened and he let his arms fall to the side.

"Pardon, didn't mean to interrupt," she said, a deep flush on her face coloured her red all the way to the tips of her hair.

"It's nothing Lavender," Hermione said. Her word stung more than he thought they would. Clearly it wasn't 'nothing', not to him at least and if she thought he would be free with his affections then she had another thought coming! He folded his arms over his chest in displeasure and turned to Lavender with a stern expression on his face. The poor girl paled visibly but he refused to hide his irritation at the interruption.

"What can we do for you?" he asked. None of his annoyance showed in his cool voice however and Lavender relaxed a little.

"It's Hermione I need," she said. He gave a nod and stepped away from her. Hermione jumped off the bed and stretched her arms up, appearing to shake off the stupor she had been in not moments before.

"Alright," she said, "I'll see you in a bit Severus." He gave her a nod before she turned away. The moment she left, the room was colder and he felt the walls close in immediately. Dismissing the thoughts as idiotic, he cleaned the room up with the few supplies that were there before heading back to his cell. He needed to have a serious word with himself about what was going on.

As soon as he returned to his cell, he threw himself back on the bed and forced his eyes shut. Don't lose your head just because someone bothered to hug you. All she was after was a little bit of comfort after the fight that had her friends nearly killed. That was all, nothing more and nothing less. Sure, it may have been the first warm body against yours for an eternity. The thought made wayward parts of his body react in long forgotten ways and he grumbled under his breath. This was ridiculous! Rolling over onto his side, he forced the whole thing from his mind and willed it to be silent. Hermione was just being a friend and needed some comfort. He kept that thought in mind as he picked up his book. Opening it to the last page he'd been reading, he took some comfort in familiar words he found there. Eventually, his eyes became heavy and he drifted off into a heavy slumber.

He was awoken a few hours later by a hot hand pressing against his cheek. His eyes flicked open as his hand caught the one on his skin. Before he knew what he was doing, the skin was pressed to his lips and he had laced the fingers with his own. He knew exactly who it was, he recognised her scent. "What is it?" he asked as his eyes met Hermione's.

"We have permission to go to Pontefract." Hermione whispered. He noted that her eyes had also widened and that she looked slightly flushed. Was that from the contact of his mouth on the back of her hand or had she been flushed already?

"What changed Potter's mind?" he asked, using the boys surname like he always had without thinking.

"Moody is sick."

Severus paled; he knew exactly what that meant. If he died because of the bite, he'd be a Restless after that. Something that everyone was keen to avoid. It would be most unpleasant if he had to be killed by one of their team. Hermione's eyes reflected that horror and he knew it. Dropping her hand, he sat up from the bed and gave a nod.

"We need to leave as soon as we can, it's nearly a full day's walk from here and we need to move as quickly as possible." Hermione said.

"Give me ten minutes." She gave a nod. She gave his hand a slight squeeze before rising and leaving the cell. Looking around, he picked up his pack and began placing in it the things he knew he would need over the next few days. Dry clothes, a spare knife and above all, that book he'd borrowed from the library. He then added a couple of the rations he had spare from his time out there alone and sighed. This was going to be an awful trip!


	12. Chapter 12

For some reason, at the last minute, Rolanda had decided that she would join them on their little trip into Pontefract. The older witch had barged into Hermione's cell with a wide smile and a pair of knives at her hips. She'd informed Hermione of her participation in the foray without preamble and left before she could protest. It had left her feathers ruffled and she stuffed the few things they'd need into her pack. She certainly hoped that Rolanda had permission to go with them, otherwise she'd be furious. Harry had worked so hard, along with the rest of them, to get them where they were. To blindly go about doing things without considering the safety of the rest of the group was just selfish. Hermione couldn't see any reason for needing the other witch with them. She shook her head and shoved her book into the pack. No matter, they'd find what they needed to save Moody or die trying; there was nothing else for it.

With a deep sigh, she swung her pack onto her shoulder and picked up her crossbow. It was time to leave. As she stepped out of her cell, Severus did the same and she gave him a curt nod. He strode towards her and they both turned towards the exit. "This isn't going to be easy," she said in a soft whisper.

"I hear we have another joining us," Severus said as they padded along the corridor. She nodded sourly.

"Not as I would have it," she replied. "I was hoping if we left quickly it would be the two of us." He raised a single brow at her but remained silent on the matter. She wasn't even sure why she was so bothered about Rolanda accompanying them. She was an accomplished fighter and an extra pair of eyes while they ventured into dangerous territory. Hermione knew she should be grateful for her offer of assistance but couldn't find it within herself to be so.

Unfortunately, the slender witch was waiting for them at the gates. "Trying to sneak off without me?" she asked with her hands placed firmly on her hips. Hermione plastered on a smile and shook her head.

"Come, we have a lot to do," she said in order to avoid answering the question. She managed to catch the expression on Severus' face as she spoke but didn't react at all to it.

"You know the way?" Rolanda asked.

"Of course," Hermione replied giving her an incredulous look. Had she forgotten their last trip there so quickly?

"Let's go," Severus said from behind them. "Every minute spent talking here is a minute Moody gets closer to death."

It was a sobering thought and Hermione nodded. Rolanda turned as well and they all walked through the door. The moment they left, the cold wind bit into their flesh and Hermione knew they would be in for a long, uncomfortable trip. Bright sunshine stung her eyes and she raised a hand to shield them as they walked towards the prison gate. Neville and Luna were on duty that day and they waved them out silently, wishing them luck with a brief salute. The gesture was touching and reminded Hermione how far they'd come. She returned the gesture with a smile before turning back to the purposefully overgrown road that lead back out into the world.

They didn't speak for a long while, each of them considering the task ahead, or so she supposed. Hermione's thoughts were on her friends and how she was once again risking her life for them, as they in turn did for her. She was also aware that some of them had begun to accept Severus, which pleased her greatly. If he was willing to play the role of a healer in their group, he'd fill a gap they'd desperately needed. Healers were few and far between in this world and since Poppy had been killed two years ago, they'd lost more than a few people.

"Merlin that wind is cold," Rolanda said after about an hour's worth of walking.

"It's going to get a whole lot colder," Hermione answered as she shrugged deeper into her coat. At least it was thick against the wind and offered a little protection. Severus had donned his old coat over his new clothes and although the wind has coloured his cheeks a furious red, he looked warm enough. Rolanda on the other hand was ill-equipped for the elements. Her jacket was worn and offered no escape from the relentless cold.

"I've brought blankets with me," Rolanda said patting her pack behind her.

"There's a safe house we can stop at tonight before we try and find what we need in the town," Hermione said. "There should be some supplies there as well so warmth tonight won't be too much of an issue, it's between then and now that'll be cold."

Severus remained silent during the whole exchange, something for which she was grateful. For some reason, she didn't want him talking to Rolanda all that much. Conversation fell short after the brief exchanged and although the older witch tried to make the odd comment here and there, the exchanged were brief. Hermione preferred to travel in relative silence; it made their passing go unnoticed by anyone who may be around them, both other people and any Restless that may be nearby.

By the time the sun was kissing the horizon, they'd made good time and approached the safe house. Inside, they climbed the stairs and made themselves comfortable for the night. It was almost identical in set up to the last ones they'd stayed in. The stairs had been demolished in favour of a rope ladder and a supply of tinned food had been left for any future visits. A stack of blankets was also available for them and these they spread over the floor of the largest room. This particular house had three rooms upstairs and they agreed to spend the night in separate ones. Hermione didn't think much of the idea, it was far safer, not to mention warmer, to spend the night in the same room but the thought of sharing him with the other witch made her blood run cold.

Then it hit her. She didn't like the idea of sharing Severus with anyone. That was why she didn't want Rolanda with them. As the older witch passed her a plate of food she flushed a little, "Thank you," she managed to mutter, too distracted by her new realisation to say much else. Severus gave a brief nod before sinking down beside her on the bed. Rolanda sat opposite them on a chair as they all began to eat.

"What's the plan then?" Severus asked when they had all finished and the plates were set to one side.

"Plan?" Hermione asked.

"We can't just amble into the town, find what we need and leave surely?"

She flushed a little at that. That had been her plan exactly.

"I think it depends on what we see as we approach the town," Rolanda said as she ran a hand through her short hair. Her tawny eyes flicked between them both before she continued. "I think, if we go into the town from the north, we'll be able to creep closer to the centre without being spotted."

Hermione nodded, "Yes, if it's anything like last time, the Malfoy's will be in the south and we won't have to worry too much about them."

"Just the countless amounts of Restless instead."

"Rather them than the Malfoy's." Hermione said. Rolanda nodded in agreement as Severus looked at them both expectantly. "The last time we did a supply run, we learned that they keep mainly to the south of the city because the north is crawling with Restless."

"Is this a good thing?" he asked, a frown marring his brow. Both of them nodded together.

"The Malfoy's still use the same methods they used before the war. A lot of the Death-eater crowd that survive run with them and they can be rather dangerous." Rolanda said.

"It's how we lost Minerva," Hermione added. Severus nodded; it appeared that he agreed with their wisdom as he fell silent once more.

"How did it happen?" he asked after a time. Hermione exchanged a glance with Rolanda, who merely starred at the floor for a long moment.

"We don't know the full details," Hermione said. Rolanda chose this moment to rise and bid them goodnight. Hermione knew the death of their friend still affected her deeply and she wasn't surprised when the older witch decided to retire. "She was captured during a routine venture for more supplies when they made themselves known. A bloody battle ensued and she was captured. We tried our best to get her back but we were too late. What we found was her remains. There wasn't even enough of her left to come back." Hermione shook her head slowly, recalling the exact image of what they'd found to mind. It was horrifying and she still had nightmares about it to this day. "That was three years ago," she added.

His hand closed over hers and she snapped her head around in surprise, "Losing a friend is never easy," he said. He coughed and she gave his hand a squeeze, grateful for the small comfort he could offer her.

"No," she muttered. Silence fell between them again and she felt the strong urge to leap into his arms once more. She didn't have the courage to do so, however when he made to rise, she gripped his hand firmly. "Don't go," she said quickly. Her hand tucked a lock of black hair behind his ear before she knew what she was doing and she flushed. He tilted his head a little into the palm of her hand and a curious expression grew on his face.

"Why not?" he whispered.

"It's cold," she whispered, "And I don't want to sleep alone." He raised a brow at that and she flushed a brilliant red. "I don't want anything else either but I've been so used to sleeping around other people that being alone is unsettling." Her explanation didn't sound any better in her ears and the flush refused to leave her.

"Do you always touch those you want to share your space with you so much?" he asked.

"No," she replied, "Just you."

A smirk spread onto his face and he toed off his shoes, she followed his lead and curled onto the bed. He settled behind her, curling his body around hers and pulling both of the thick blankets over them. His arm curled over her side and she snuggled back against him, "Thank you," she whispered. Her hand covered his larger one and her eyes fell closed. She wasn't quite asleep when she felt his lips press into the back of her head. That night, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	13. Chapter 13

**A quick word before I continue with the story. I appreciate the reviews and the people who read my tales, thank you for your kind words and thoughts regarding the story. You may have noticed that this one is a little bleaker than usual and I will warn you that it is only going to get worse (before it gets better?). I intended this one to be dark and I think it is living up to my expectations. This is why I am writing Mistletoe and Wine at the same time - I like things light too. That said, I am enjoying writing this on my days off from work and I do hope you continue to enjoy reading it.**

**Lu**

Waking with the dawn had long ago become a habit for Severus. Waking at dawn with a face full of brown curls wasn't but it was quickly developing into one. He just hoped that this time he wouldn't end up with a sore eye. The bruising had faded from the last time at least and although it had swollen rapidly, at least it had gone down quickly as well. Still, the warmth of her body beside his and the comfort of the bed and thick blanket did much to soothe his fraught soul. He wondered if she'd mind overly much if he put his arm around her. Before he could second guess himself, he did it anyway and was rewarded by a soft murmur. Surprisingly, she snuggled back against him and he let his eyes drift closed once more. The scent of her hair surrounded him as he buried his face in her curls and he let out a deep sigh of his own. His feet were warm. For the first time in a long time, he was completely thawed out and comfortable. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing better than this. Maybe that seemed a touch trivial, maybe even a little bleak but that was what their world had become and little moments like this needed treasuring.

She rolled over, her arm draped over his waist and all of a sudden, the whole morning changed. Her sleep messed hair framed her dream relaxed face and her soft breath tickled his cheek. She'd moved onto his pillow and a soft smile graced her cheeks. He brushed a soft curl back from her face before he knew what he was doing and she nuzzled into his calloused hand. "Severus?" she whispered without opening her eyes.

"Hmm," he whispered.

"What time is it?"

"First light," he replied.

"Don't make me get up just yet, let's stay here for a little longer," her arm tightened around him a little as she spoke and he was more than willing to stay right where he was. He opened his mouth to speak but she nuzzled into his chest, robbing him of most thoughts and certainly all speech. Instead, he curled his arm around her back and drew her close against him. She whimpered a little but didn't push away or fight him. She seemed to relax even more if that was possible and he found the idea curious. His mind harked back to a day when the worst thing that might happen was she might not know the answer and interrupt his teaching. The start of a smile began on his lips and he let out a sigh; life had been so much simpler then, even with the threat of the Dark Lord's return.

"What is it?" she asked when he'd tensed without realizing it.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"It's not important."

She seemed to accept that as an answer, which was a surprise, and returned to her contented snuggling. Her scent washed over him once more and he swallowed hard. Her proximity seemed to be having a profound effect on his long dead libido. The way she was pressing against his entire body would have her discovering the effect pretty soon and that was something he was rather keen to avoid. Though he wasn't entirely sure why, she was pretty enough and she seemed to have gained a curious attachment to him. Why, he had no idea. As far as he was concerned, he was the same as he'd ever been. Not great to look at with a sour disposition. Still, here she was, pressing her warmth against him and not being commanded or forced to do so.

Before he could stop himself, he pressed his lips to her forehead. It was a warm, tender gesture and although he didn't mean all that much by it, she shifted back a little. He looked into her tawny eyes as they searched him. The smile on her face gave nothing away but she tilted her head to the side a little before speaking. "Did you just kiss me?" Her tone was curious rather than outraged but he flushed none the less.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I don't know why I did it."

She didn't answer with words; instead, she gently pressed her mouth to his. He inhaled sharply at the sudden contact and knew he'd gone rigid. All he could do was lie there, like a stone, as she held her lips against his. Moments later, she broke it and he cursed himself inwardly. The first physical contact he'd had for Merlin knew how long and he'd bloody well frozen. "Too much?" she asked with barely a whisper.

Shaking his head, he tried to find his voice. The first time he opened his mouth, nothing but a croak came out. Coughing, he tried again, "No Hermione, just… surprising." Her hand caressed his cheek softly, brushing back strands of black hair, "It's been a long time since anyone kissed me, I-"

"It's alright," she said, cutting off his words in an infuriating manner.

"No, it's not." His words came out a little sharper than he'd intended and he let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Leaning forward, this time when their lips met, he relaxed in her arms and savoured the sensation of her soft mouth under his. He let out a little whimper as the moment stretched and her tongue nudged against his closed lips. He was about to part them when there was a rough knock on the door.

"Come on! Wake up!" Rolnda's morning coach voice boomed through the door and Hermione sprang back away from him as if they were a pair of teenagers caught doing something they shouldn't be.

"This is far from over," she hissed as she threw the covers off and jumped off the bed. He gave a curt nod before sitting up. He was in no real state to stand just yet but sitting was manageable.

"We're up and we've been waiting for you!" Hermione called. The door burst open and the bright eyed witch beamed at them both. When her eyes met his however, they darkened slightly.

"Still abed Severus?" she questioned. At that moment, he would be quite happy to throttle the stupid woman. Instead, he waved a hand and covered a theatrical yawn.

"Warm and comfortable is still somewhat new, I like to savour it while I can," he said dismissing her complaint. "I shall be up and about in no time," he added. That seemed to satisfy the bloody woman, who crossed the room and peered out of the window. Brilliant sunshine flooded into the room and she nodded.

"It's going to be a fine day," Rolanda said.

"Not what we wanted really," Hermione said joining her at the sill.

"Why not?" he asked.

"If the weather is fine, people are more likely to take to the streets. It's a small point I suppose but if it's raining, the Malfoy's would be more likely to stay inside." Hermione said. Rolanda nodded and he considered their words for a moment. It made sense. He knew it would be damned cold out there as well. Still, perhaps, if they were lucky and had a bit of time, he'd be able to find some shoes that didn't have holes in them. Maybe some better fitting clothes as well. He knew it was a minor point, the clothes at least, but he had to ask and he voiced his request.

"I don't see why not," Hermione nodded, "We're going to be near that side of the town anyway and nothing is better than a pair of well fitted shoes."

"I just hope we get in and out without attracting attention," Rolanda said. He knew that was her way of stating her disapproval but it was two against one so it would happen regardless. Feeling that he was able to stand and not embarrass himself, he rose from the bed and pushed dark hair from his face. He picked up his pack, rearmed himself and gave a nod.

"I'm ready when you are."

Within ten minutes, they'd left the safe house and were heading towards Pontefract. The route Hermione chose wasn't on the main road, which was sure to be watched. It was over the overgrown fields. They provided plenty of cover until they reached the edge of the town. The landscape slowly changed from countryside to suburban and he found his fists were clenched by his side. He'd had more than a few experiences of towns since the change and none of them were good ones. Hermione's tale of Minerva's demise wasn't exactly heart-warming either and he found his breath coming in short bursts.

"Relax," Hermione whispered as she sidled up alongside him, "We're all eyes and the tenser you are the more likely you're going to jump at a shadow," she added. Her small hand slipped over his and she forced her fingers to entwine with his. When she gave his hand a squeeze, he forced his breathing to even out and his other fist to uncurl.

"I don't like this," he stated.

"None of us do but Moody depends on our success," she replied.

"I'll not let anything happen to you," Rolanda added. He nodded at both witches and followed their direction. They'd not let him astray this far and he had no reason to not trust them now. The suburban gave way to urban within fifteen minutes and as they walked, all their talking stopped. Hermione led them through gardens and down cuts rather than on the main roads and within a few short minutes, Severus had lost track of where they were. He kept reminding himself that they were only going to be there for a short while and that nothing bad could happen during this trip. However the deep nagging in the back of his mind that something was amiss would not leave him alone. The tall buildings loomed over them, cutting off the sun and the world seemed a whole lot darker here than it had this morning. He kept his eyes open and his ears alert as they silently made their way through the dark, forbidding town. Litter was scattered over the streets and here and there, a corpse lay abandoned by those that killed it. Of life, there was no sign at all. Not a bird chirped, nor an animal stirred. There was no one to mark their passing that he could see but still, the sensation of pending doom would not leave his mind be.


	14. Chapter 14

The only thing that was swirling through Hermione's mind at that moment was the delicious taste of Severus' mouth when it had met hers. The wizard's lips had been softer than she could have imagined and the warmth that flowed through her was a welcome change. She could still feel the slight pressure of his mouth on hers; still feel his warmth as he enfolded his arms around her. The he'd be interested in her was a welcome piece of knowledge and she couldn't wait to get him alone again so they could explore the notion a little further. Her whole body seemed to be alive with the prospect, attuned somehow to where he was and how he was moving.

She stole sideways glances at him as they navigated the deserted streets. His movements were precise, accurate and careful. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he was that careful with his walking, how careful he would be as a lover. The thought made her cheeks flush and she hastily turned her head away from both her companions. It wouldn't do to have them spying her blush and asking about it. The last thing she needed was Rolanda commenting and then laughing about her new infatuation. Dismissing the thought for the moment, she focused on the dark, looming houses around them. She couldn't sense anything wrong with the place, no more than normal at least. There was no sign of life, or unlife either, for that matter for which she was glad. If they could make it in and out without seeing anything it would be a small miracle.

Rolanda nudged her shoulder and snapped her back to the present. She was still painfully aware of him at her side like a pervasive, dark presence. Tall and comforting alongside her, he was a stark contrast to her usual lonely forays. "What is it?" she whispered.

Rolanda jerked her head to the side and grinned a little. It was a Lloyds Pharmacy. The same one they had hit last time. Hopefully, the supplies they'd stashed would still be waiting for them and they could grab it and go. Hermione looked up and down the deserted street and gave a curt nod, not needing to reply verbally. Carefully, they crept towards the front of the building. The window had been smashed since the last time they were there and a couple of bottles of asprin were scattered across the road. Hermione tried the door; locked. Exchanging a glance with Severus, she crept carefully through the window. Her companions followed without a sound.

Inside, the place had been torn apart. The shelves had been pulled down, their contents scattered across the shop floor. Bottles and jars of a multitude of medicines were strewn about carelessly and the contents of several packets had been trodden on. Rolanda led them into the back room, where they'd stashed some of the supplies. Once in the back, the older woman kicked aside a heavy trunk and revealed a hatch. "You really are a resourceful bunch," muttered Severus. Hermione nodded a response as Rolanda disappeared down the hatch. She swallowed the urge to push him against the wall and shove her tongue down his throat. The thought was strong but she blinked a couple of times and cleared it away. It did make her think for a moment and she returned to the front of the store. Rummaging around the floor, she found what she was looking for and slipped a couple of packets into her pocket, as well as a few boxes of painkillers and basic headache tablets.

Returning to her companions, she noticed Rolanda was still down the hatch. A few supplies were now resting on the edge of the hatch and Severus was bent down looking at She hunkered down next to him and scanned the supplies. "Will this be enough?" she whispered. A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. She'd been so caught up thinking about him that she'd forgotten about the reason for their trip.

"I can't say without seeing how the wound has progressed," he replied. She gave him a glance and he placed a warm hand on her bicep, giving it a squeeze. The contact made her heart speed up and she sucked in a breath. She bit her lip but knew he was doing his best to reassure her.

"I hope so."

"Me too," he nodded. He withdrew his arm as Rolanda's head pocked up from the gap.

"Little help?" she tilted her head to the side and heaved up a pack full of the required goods. Hermione grabbed hold of it and hauled it up. Placing it on the side, she then held out a hand to help Roland up. Accepting it, the woman nimbly hopped up onto the floor once more and then shut the hatch.

"Is there much left?" Hermione asked.

"A fair bit," Rolanda replied. She nodded before rising from her crouch, Severus followed.

"This should ensure infection is less of a risk in the future," he said. Hermione watched as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. His grace was undeniable and she flushed, turning her head away quickly.

"We should go," Hermione said. Rolanda nodded and all at once, shouldering the pack they began moving towards the exit. The chill had permeated the room and the day had darkened significantly when they crept back into the street. It was still deserted at least. However, Hermione's eyes were drawn down the long high street. Several bricks were lying in the road, which was now cracked and looking as though it was in need of repair. As she was squinting against the brightness of the day, she thought she saw movement at the far end of the street. Leaning forward for a better look, the movement, whatever it was, was gone. The sooner they were the better.

"What is it?" Severus laid a hand on her shoulder and followed her gaze.

"I don't know." She whispered turning back the way they'd come.

"We need to go," Rolanda said. Hermione nodded and they began stalking back out of the town with as much speed as they could muster.

It all went wrong when they were less than a hair's breadth from the outskirts of the town. Hermione could even see the fields they were aiming for. A snickering laugh was the only warning they got. A sharp crack followed by a cry of pain from Rolanda was it. Hermione spun round, raising her crossbow but there was nothing there. No one to own up to the assault, she knew Severus was alert as she was but with nothing to see…

"Run!" Rolanda shouted. Hermione snapped out of her daze and began sprinting towards the fields. She scooped Rolanda back onto her feet and they all began the headlong dash. Laughter, cold, cruel and devoid of mirth followed them. Severus had his arm under Rolanda as well and they seemed to be on the verge of reaching their destination. It was not to be. Another sharp crack sounded and the laughter intensified. Another scream from the witch they carried sounded and this time, she went limp.

"Come on Severus!" Hermione hissed, trying to drag the now unconscious body of her companion. When they reached the long grass he stopped and they hunkered down. "What are you doing?"

"I know that laugh," he said.

"So?"

"We'll not get away."

Hermione's eyes widened at his apparent giving up and she shook her head, "What about Moody?" she asked.

"You take Rolanda and go."

"I'll not leave you!" Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt suddenly cold. How on earth could he suggest something like that? After the mornings events too?

"I'll catch you up," he replied. She gave him a flat look, not believing a single word he said. If the Death Eaters got him, he was as good as dead. Shaking her head, she opened her mouth to speak. "Go to the safe house, I'll meet you there later on. She needs your help too," his eyes flicked to Rolanda before he took her hand. "I know these people, I will be fine," Severus said.

"You better be!" she muttered as she hoisted the unconscious Rolanda up once more. The woman groaned a little but she found her feet as she came too.

"Go!" Severus whispered fiercely before rising to his feet. Swallowing, finding her throat dry, she nodded and began a scamper into the long grass. She dared not look back to see what he was doing. The laughter receded into the background and it seemed as though whatever it was he had in mind was working. She only hoped that he knew what he was doing and that he'd come back to them safe and in one piece.

It took most of the day to arrive back at the safe house. As soon as they did, Hermione hoisted Rolanda up the ladder as best she could and saw that she was settled in one of the beds. Reeling in the ladder, she crossed to the room she had shared the previous night with him and threw herself down on it. It was going to be a long wait and with nothing to do but think, it was going to pass slowly. Her thoughts chased themselves round and round, all that was left for her to do was hope he would turn up. Still, Moody was also waiting on their return and there was only so long they could wait. They would be out of food within a couple of days and by then; they would need to be long gone. Hermione buried her head in the pillow that smelled strongly of him. It was oddly comforting and she found her breathing becoming steadier and even. Before long, she was drifting into a restless, uneasy sleep.


End file.
